Infertility

Zika and IVF - UPDATED in comments

edited May 2017 in Infertility
Hello

I am wondering if anybody has any experience with IVF after travelling to a high risk Zika place.

I returned from Vietnam recently. Before I left my FS advised me to wear lots of repellant and wait at least 8 weeks until a transfer after I get home, and we should also do a test. 

My doctor (and the head of pathology) has advised that even if you have a negative result, it doesn't definitely rule out Zika, and you ideally need to wait for 6-8 months to try naturally to be sure because of how long it can stay in the male's sperm. Apparently it's only a week or so for the female. 

Sorry something strange has happened to this original post!! But please see update below which hopefully fills in the blanks.

Re: Zika and IVF - UPDATED in comments

  • Hi- I don't know a lot about Zika or anything but I know our RE makes us wait 6 months to do anything. We wouldn't have banked sperm, but it sounded like he would still make us wait. Hopefully you won't have to!
  • No experience but I usually turn to CDC guidance for anything infectious disease related. Here's their guidelines for Zika

    https://www.cdc.gov/zika/pregnancy/women-and-their-partners.html

    Is Vietnam known to be a Zika heavy country? I thought it was mainly in South America at the moment?
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  • Last I heard, the CDC recommended women to wait at least 3 months, but urged them to wait 6 months. Haven't heard that it stays in the woman for only a week. My RE won't even consider treating a woman for at least 6 months if she had been in a high risk zone. 
  • edited May 2017
    Thanks girls!! 

    Yes, it is mainly South America, Vietnam is considered a "high risk" area, but I don't think it's actually had that many confirmed cases, it might be high risk because of the potential of there being an outbreak there? Not sure how they classify the countries. 

    Thanks so much, I'll have a read of that site :)

    @caseyw8784  @baseballhoney @caseyw8784


  • I thought I would share my update in case anybody's stumbles upon this thread at a later date. 

    There are two tests you can do for Zika, one tests for the virus, the other tests for antibodies that the body develops when a Zika infection has been present. The test for the virus can be done up to 7 days after the Zika exposure/leaving the affected area, the antibodies test should be done around 3 weeks after leaving the Zika affected area. Neither test is 100% accurate, but if it has been over 3 weeks and there is no antibodies present you can fairlyyy safely assume that Zika hasn't been present. The recommendation is that women wait 8 weeks and men wait 6 months before considering conceiving. 

    We didnt really want to wait a long time before getting back in to IVF if we didn't need to (we were both fairly confident we had not been bitten at all while we were away and we were diligent with inspect repellant). We have both been tested for the Zika antibodies, and mine showed negative today, still waiting on DH's result. The plan is, my next transfer will be done after 8 weeks has passed since our return, and DH and I will use protection until 6 months has passed, and if we need to do another stim cycle, we will use DH's frozen sperm that was stored before we travelled. If I do fall pregnant this next cycle (here's to hoping) I will mention the travel, and possibly we will pay to have a few extra anatomy ultrasounds just to be super sure. 

    XXXX
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