U.S. CDC cautions against unprotected sex with Ebola survivors
Key points
- U.S. health officials are now recommending people avoid contact with the semen of Ebola survivors after a woman in Liberia contracted Ebola through sexual intercourse with a survivor of the disease.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a review of the 44-year-old woman's case now suggests that the Ebola virus persists longer in semen that previously thought.
- CDC said it is conducting further studies to see how long the virus can remain viable in body fluids of male and female survivors and the likelihood of sexual transmission.
- Until more information is known, CDC recommends that if male survivors choose to have sex - oral, vaginal, or anal - they should use a condom every time.
U.S. health officials are now recommending people avoid contact with the semen of Ebola survivors after a woman in Liberia contracted Ebola through sexual intercourse with a survivor of the disease.
In a report issued on Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a review of the 44-year-old woman's case now suggests that the Ebola virus persists longer in semen that previously thought.
CDC said it is conducting further studies to see how long the virus can remain viable in body fluids of male and female survivors and the likelihood of sexual transmission.
Until more information is known, CDC recommends that if male survivors choose to have sex - oral, vaginal, or anal - they should use a condom every time.
(Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Editing by Peter Galloway)
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Reuters
Written and revised by
Andrey Nailor, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
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