Women & Their Partners Who are Thinking about Pregnancy

If you aren’t pregnant, but you’re thinking about having a baby, here’s what you can do.

1. Talk with your doctor or healthcare provider.
2. Take steps to prevent mosquito bites.
3. Take steps to prevent getting Zika through sex.

Talk with your doctor or other healthcare provider

Women and their partners who are thinking about pregnancy should talk with their doctor or healthcare provider about

• Their plans for having children
• The potential risk of getting Zika during pregnancy
• Their partner’s potential exposures to Zika

CDC has guidance to help healthcare providers discuss pregnancy planning with women and their partners after possible exposure to Zika. The table below shows the suggested timeframes for waiting to get pregnant after possible exposure to Zika:

Decisions about pregnancy planning are personal and complex, and the circumstances for women and their partners will vary. Women and their partners should discuss pregnancy planning with a trusted doctor or healthcare provider.  As part of counseling with healthcare providers, some women and their partners living in areas with active Zika virus transmission might decide to delay pregnancy.

Women who do not want to get pregnant should talk with their doctor or healthcare provider about ways to prevent unintended pregnancy, including how to use birth control the right way every time. Women should consider safety, effectiveness, availability, and acceptability when choosing a birth control method. 

CDC’s guidance for women and their partners thinking about pregnancy will continue to be updated as we learn more.