How are you dealing with Zika in your practice?

[MD20001]

Hi everyone, I've been struggling with how to address Zika travel concerns with pts. The CDC and WHO have recently completely shifted their stance from "Do Not Travel If You're Pregnant or Thinking of Getting Pregnant" to "Discuss With Your Physician". It's also confusing because they seem to now say that these will be chronic issues in this area (similar to other infectious diseases in this area) -- seems crazy to me to permanently ban people from traveling if they think they may get pregnant at some pt?

Unfortunately, the guidelines in general are vague. Seems like the rates of Zika have significantly declined in the Latin America/Carribean areas but I'm still struggling if I should completely tell people to stop going to these areas. I've told a few people that they can consider going while taking extra caution and then returning and potentially doing laboratory testing.

Any other thoughts? Is anyone completely telling their pts to avoid travel to these areas?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Raryn]

Hi everyone, I've been struggling with how to address Zika travel concerns with pts. The CDC and WHO have recently completely shifted their stance from "Do Not Travel If You're Pregnant or Thinking of Getting Pregnant" to "Discuss With Your Physician". It's also confusing because they seem to now say that these will be chronic issues in this area (similar to other infectious diseases in this area) -- seems crazy to me to permanently ban people from traveling if they think they may get pregnant at some pt?

Unfortunately, the guidelines in general are vague. Seems like the rates of Zika have significantly declined in the Latin America/Carribean areas but I'm still struggling if I should completely tell people to stop going to these areas. I've told a few people that they can consider going while taking extra caution and then returning and potentially doing laboratory testing.

Any other thoughts? Is anyone completely telling their pts to avoid travel to these areas?

My wife is an obstetrician. We are considering pregnancy in the near future. What she plans for herself and counsels her patients on is that do not travel to a Zika endemic area while pregnant, if actively attempting pregnancy, or if planning to actively attempt pregnancy in the next 3 months. That includes central america, south america, the Caribbean, parts of Africa, and most of Southeast Asia.