Uganda Advises Ebola Survivors to Avoid Sex for Six Months

The Ugandan government has advised men who recover from Ebola to avoid sexual activity for at least six months after recovery or use condoms correctly every time they have sex.

In a health advisory released on Saturday, Uganda’s Ministry of Health said the Ebola virus can remain in a man’s semen even after he has fully recovered from the disease. Because of this, survivors are being urged to take precautions to prevent the virus from spreading to others.

According to the ministry, men who have survived Ebola should either abstain from sex for six months or use condoms consistently and correctly during that period.

The warning comes as Uganda continues to battle an Ebola outbreak that has been linked to neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the disease has affected hundreds of people.

Health officials in Uganda have stepped up disease surveillance, contact tracing, and public awareness campaigns in an effort to contain the spread of the virus.

On Friday, Uganda confirmed two new Ebola infections involving healthcare workers in Kampala. The latest cases bring the country’s total number of confirmed infections to nine, including one death.

Authorities said both newly infected individuals are citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo. One of the patients sought medical help after developing symptoms associated with Ebola and was immediately isolated. The second patient was identified after being traced as a close contact of a previously confirmed case.

Health officials have since identified and placed all known contacts under monitoring to reduce the risk of further infections.

The Ministry of Health has urged members of the public to remain alert and seek immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms such as sudden fever, extreme tiredness, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, or unexplained bleeding.

Officials noted that early detection and treatment significantly improve a patient’s chances of survival.

Meanwhile, concerns continue to grow across the region as the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola spreads in eastern DR Congo and crosses borders through imported cases.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently reported hundreds of suspected Ebola cases in the DRC, with many deaths still under investigation. Confirmed infections and fatalities have been recorded in several provinces, including Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu.

Health experts say one of the biggest challenges in controlling the outbreak is that the virus circulated unnoticed for several weeks before it was officially detected. This allowed it to spread through communities, making contact tracing and isolation efforts more difficult.

The WHO has classified the outbreak as a major international public health concern. Experts have also expressed concern because there is currently no approved vaccine specifically designed for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.

Medical experts warn that Ebola remains a dangerous disease, with death rates among confirmed patients ranging between 30 and 50 percent if treatment is not received in time.

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