Zika Is An STD: Why Are We Not Calling It One?

Zika is working its way around the United States. It's spreading across Florida, and is before long expected to reach Texas, Louisiana and other Southern states. It is a dizzying trip, and one that isn't going to end anytime soon.

The virus spreads from a type of mosquito that has now officially been confirmed to carry Zika in Miami Beach. A massive effort to kill them in South Carolina produced a disaster for the bee population there.

But while mosquitoes are a key menace when it comes to Zika, the media and public officials are too focused on them. They also need to pay attention to sex: If we are going to stop the spread of this disease, we are going to need better access to Zika testing for anyone who is sexually active in a Zika zone.

At the moment, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends testing for pregnant women at risk of Zika transmission, people who exhibit symptoms of being infected with Zika, and people who have had sex with a partner who might have been exposed to the virus.

The CDC explicitly states that men, women who are not pregnant and children who are not symptomatic do not need to be tested. That, however, is not the best way to manage Zika.