FG Advises Male Survivors Of Ebola Attack To Avoid Copulation For 7 Weeks

The Federal Ministry of Health has advised men who were treated and discharged of Ebola virus to avoid sexual intercourse for at least seven weeks.

Dr Bridget Okoeguale, Director, Department of Public Health, gave the advice during interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

Okoeguale said this was in line with protocols issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“There are many literatures that say that after men are infected, when the virus is not found in the blood, it tends to stay in the semen for about seven weeks to three months.

“What we did according to the WHO protocol is that we made sure that when the men are discharged they are given enough condoms, if they cannot abstain for that period.

“We advise them to abstain from sex but where they cannot abstain, they are provided condoms and after the (abstinence) period, we double test to make sure they are free’’, she said.

culled: leadership