WASHINGTON — Men in the D.C. area who will be traveling to Brazil for the Summer Olympics can leave something behind if they’re concerned about the Zika virus.
Fairfax Cryobank is offering one year of free semen storage at its Fairfax, Virginia location, as well as at locations in Austin, Texas, Philadelphia and Roseville, Minnesota.
The company said the free offer applies to any man traveling to the Olympics as an athlete, coach, trainer, spouse, family member, member of the media or other attendee.
According to Fairfax Cryobank, men bitten by a Zika-infected mosquito become infectious and can spread the virus to a sexually intimate partner, even if the man does not have symptoms. The virus can be detected in seminal flied for up to three months after a man is infected, risking serious birth defects.
“Providing this program to help athletes and others attending the Olympics to have healthy babies by using Zika-free sperm to conceive is the best way Fairfax Cryobank can support U.S. participation in the games,” said Michelle Ottey, Fairfax Cryobank laboratory director.
