If you're trying to become pregnant, especially through fertility treatment, you may be considering a vacation during the holidays.
Many fertility programs do close their laboratories (used for In Vitro Fertilization retrievals and transfers, cryopreserving and thawing of embryos and more) for a short time and so it may seem like a perfect time to take off.
Urgent Information Regarding the Zika Virus & Fertility Treatment
The concerns about the Zika virus are real and complex. The information is also rapidly changing and more information is accrued on a daily basis. Pregnancy, travel and sex are all aspects that need to be considered when it comes to this dangerous infection.
The most up-to-date Zika information that you can find is from the Center for Disease Control and you should check here carefully when planning a trip.
Zika Virus Concerns When Planning a Trip
If you are at any stage of family building, including the following stages- thinking about becoming pregnant, possibly pregnant, planning on getting pregnant, trying to become pregnant or possibly accidentally pregnant, check with the CDC website and consider discussing with your physicians as well.
If you are in fertility treatment, even off cycle (not currently in fertility treatment but planning on a treatment cycle in the future), you need to be even more diligent. Where you travel, when you travel, who you're exposed to, where you live- all those things need to be considered.
These factors are complicated and while there are some aspects of Zika that are understood, there are many that are still relatively unknown. What is known is that the effects on a pregnancy when exposed to Zika are significant.
There is no such thing as too much caution with this infection. Plan your vacation and while you're doing it? Keep the CDC website up to compare notes.