That is double the one month of safe sexual practices previously recommended by the WHO, which explained that new studies showed the Zika virus could survive in sperm longer than previously thought.
The recommendation is only for men and women who present no symptoms of the virus, which experts agree is behind a surge in cases in Latin America of microcephaly — a serious birth defect in which babies are born with unusually small heads and brains.
If the male partner has shown symptoms of Zika, the couple should practise safe sex or abstain for six months, “to ensure that the infection has left the body and the virus will not be passed to… the partner,” WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told reporters.
Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant should avoid travelling to areas affected by Zika all together, and if their male partner has travelled to such an area, the couple should practise safe sex or abstain for the remainder of the pregnancy, it said.
It remains unclear how long the virus can persist in body fluids, but a report issued this month showed the sperm of a man returning to Britain from Cook Island remained positive for the virus 62 days after he first detected symptoms, WHO said.
Zika is mainly spread by two species of Aedes mosquito, but has also been shown to transmit through sexual contact.
The virus, which also causes the rare but potentially fatal neurological disorder Guillain-Barre Syndrome, is mainly spread by two species of Aedes mosquito.
But WHO warned on Tuesday that “mounting evidence has shown that sexual transmission of Zika virus is possible and more common than previously assumed”.
For people living in areas where Zika is spreading, controlling the spread is obviously more complicated.
WHO has recommended that women in these areas delay getting pregnant, and that women who have had unprotected sex and do not wish to become pregnant should have “ready access to emergency contraceptive services and counselling.”
Brazil, where the Olympic Games are due to kick off in August, has been especially hard-hit since Zika began spreading in South America last year, with nearly 1,300 babies having been born in that county with irreversible brain damage since then.
WHO last week rejected a call from 150 international doctors to change the timing or location of the Rio Games, saying shifting the Games would not substantially alter the risks of Zika spreading globally.
HEALTH
WHO doubles safe sex advice for travellers to Zika regions
People who travel to Zika-hit areas should practise safe sex or have no sex at all for at least eight weeks after their return to avoid sexual transmission of the virus, the Geneva-based World Health Organization said on Tuesday.
For members
HEALTH
How difficult is it to change your doctor in Switzerland?
If you already have a GP doctor in Switzerland but, for some reason, need or want to switch, how easy is it to do so?
Updated: 8 September 2024 05:47 CEST
There are a number of reasons why you may want to leave your GP and find a new one.
Maybe you don’t like their bedside manner, are not happy with the medical care, or are simply moving away and need to find someone closer to your new home.
Whatever the reason, whether or not you can easily switch from one doctor to another depends on the kind of health insurance you have.
Different models, different rights
If you have the ‘standard’ — and typically the most expensive — type of the obligatory health insurance (KVG / LaMal), then you are free to switch your GPs at will, and you don’t have to inform the insurance carrier of the switch.
However, if you have opted for one of the cheaper insurance models, then your right to switch doctors may be limited:
Family doctor model’
It is the most popular in Switzerland (and 20 percent cheaper than standard insurance policy premiums).
Under this model, you have a family doctor who will manage your care — that is, treat you or send you to specialists if needed (with the exception of gynecologists and eye doctors, who don’t require a referral).
You can’t, however, change doctors at will, unless your insurance company approves the switch.
Telemedicine model
If you have opted for the Telemed formula, you must call a health hotline set up by your insurance company.
They will give you a referral to a doctor or hospital based on your symptoms.
Heath Maintainance Organisation (HMO)
Under this model, policyholders are required to consult a particular HMO practice. Two disadvantages of this alternative is a limited choice of doctors and you also need a referral to see a specialist.
So the only option that gives you the right to switch doctors with no hassle is the standard one, with the family doctor model also possibly allowing you to do so, under certain circumstances.
The way Telmed and HMO are set up, however, switching doctors is not possible. If that option is important to you, then you will have to switch to the (more expensive) standard insurance.
The only exception to the above restrictions are emergencies, when you need urgent medical treatment.
Assuming you have the standard model, how do you go about changing?
The process is pretty simple: you can find physicians in your area either through recommendations from people you know (which is the best way to ensure you will not be getting an ‘anonymous’ doctor) or, if no recommendations are available, then through the OneDoc platform, which lists which doctors are taking new patients and where.
You can then make an appointment directly online.
When you do so, ask your current physician’s office to transfer your file to the new doc.
You don’t need to explain the reasons for the switch.
READ ALSO: The essential Swiss websites you need to use for health matters
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