Ebola spread-prevention urged, despite evidence
16 Dec 2014
A new research article suggests that men in recovery from Ebola should not have unprotected sex for at least three months, despite a lack of evidence to back up its claims.
Researchers Walter Cardona-Maya, Paula Velilla Hernandez, and Daniel Henao compiled a list of findings taken from 1977-2007 on men in the convalescent phase of the Ebola virus.
Though the researchers were only able to find four studies that reported six male survivors of Ebola who donated convalescent semen, they found that in each case the virus persisted for an average of 66.6 days, while in one survivor, the virus lasted for 91 days.
“Our exercise demonstrated that the current recommendations to prevent the sexual spread of Ebola are based on one mere observation,” the researchers said.
“Despite the evident need to conduct more research, for now, health care professionals should strongly recommend sexual abstinence or condom-protected encounters for at least three months.”
A full account of the research has been published in the journal Reproductive Sciences, and can be downloaded via the attached PDF above.
