Should Zika be changing my travel plans?

[mommyoffive]

I need the Hive Wisdom on this.   

 

Background.  

I am not pg.  I may want to have another baby this year. 

 

 

I keep backing out of travel in places that may have Zika.  Is this crazy?  Is it safe to travel to these places?  Would you not go to any places that have it?

 

This week I said no to Orlando, New Orleans, Cuba, Miami, and Costa Rica.

 

Last week I said no to Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands.

 

I would love to go to these places, but I am scared.   But am I scared for no real reason?  Have I been scared by the news? 

 

I am also scared about traveling to Europe.  Is that dumb too?  I know the stats. 

 

Maybe I am just a fearful person. 

[AngieC]

If I thought I might get pregnant sometime soon, there is no way I would risk it. 

[Amira]

When there are so many places to visit, I'd skip zika areas for now if I were thinking about getting pregnant. However, the guidelines say that women need to wait 8 weeks after possible exposure and men need to wait 6 months after possible exposure to try for a pregnancy. If I did go, I'd be very, very sure that I wasn't pregnant before I left and used at least two forms of birth control.

 

Europe doesn't concern me at all. In fact, dh and ds are there right now.

[mommyoffive]

Ahh.

 

You are beefing up my thoughts.  

 

What freaks me out more is that Dh travels to the south a lot.  I kind of want him to go get tested.

 

Off to go google more places.

 

 

[Pam in CT]

When there are so many places to visit, I'd skip zika areas for now if I were thinking about getting pregnant. However, the guidelines say that women need to wait 8 weeks after possible exposure and men need to wait 6 months after possible exposure to try for a pregnancy. If I did go, I'd be very, very sure that I wasn't pregnant before I left and used at least two forms of birth control.

 

Europe doesn't concern me at all. In fact, dh and ds are there right now.

 

As so often seems to be the case, what Amira said.

 

 

Your husband's travels to Zika zones are just as relevant if you're looking to try for another baby.

 

 

In your shoes, based on your other travel post, I'd be looking at apartment rentals in cities in Portugal, Spain (ahhh, Barcelona!!), Italy, Greece if you're feeling a teeny bit more intrepid, Croatia etc if a bit more intrepid than that.  Or Andean South America, above the mosquito zone (it is, obviously, summer there now though it never gets hot in the higher elevations).

[displace]

I am not seeking pregnancy but I will not travel to known Zika areas. Orlando is currently ok (especially if you go when the weather is a little cool and the mosquitoes are less). I would skip the caribbean, Central America, and Miami/keys for now.

 

I would loooove to go to Europe now. We are waiting for the kids to age a bit though. There are a bunch of cool places you might consider instead. Do you need travel ideas?

 

National parks? Big cities? Iconic Americans? Seasonal nature?

[ktgrok]

I'm in Orlando, we have no known locally transmitted cases. I haven't heard of any in New Orleans either. I would avoid Miami though, and Puerto Rico. 

[justasque]

 

Others have spoken to the mosquito-prone areas.  As for Europe, generally speaking you'll be safer there than you are here.  If you have the opportunity to go, take it!  Europe is not to be missed in my opinion; I wish I could send every American there, at least once in their lifetime, for a couple of weeks.

[mommyoffive]

Others have spoken to the mosquito-prone areas.  As for Europe, generally speaking you'll be safer there than you are here.  If you have the opportunity to go, take it!  Europe is not to be missed in my opinion; I wish I could send every American there, at least once in their lifetime, for a couple of weeks.

 

Thanks.

 

Sometimes I just start doubting things and I need the kick in the pants.