This Is Why an Olympian Is Freezing His Sperm Before Heading to Rio
British long jumper Greg Rutherford is taking serious precautions before heading to Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics this summer. He will be freezing his sperm over fears of the Zika virus.
His partner Susie Verrill shared the news about Rutherford in Standard Issue in a letter explaining why she and their child will not be attending the games - in part because of Zika concerns.
"The Zika news has caused no end of concern if we're totally honest," she wrote. "We're not ones to worry unnecessarily, but after more than 100 medical experts stressed the Games should be moved to prevent the disease from spreading, this was a huge factor in us choosing to stay put."
She explained that they're considering having more children, which is why Rutherford is taking precautions against the disease that can cause birth defects including microcephaly. The virus can be transmitted sexually, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
"We've also made the decision to have Greg's sperm frozen. We'd love to have more children and with research in its infancy, I wouldn't want to put myself in a situation which could have been prevented," she writes. "Specialists still also don't know the ins and outs of Zika, so even though it looks as though there's no real issues should Milo get bitten, it's just another thing we don't want to chance."
It was reported last month that a group of 150 scientists, doctors, and medical ethicists have signed a letter calling for the Games to be postponed or moved from Rio because of the outbreak in Brazil. The CDC issued a health advisory warning: "Until more is known and out of an abundance of caution, pregnant women should consider postponing travel to any area where Zika virus transmission is ongoing."
NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie just announced this week that she is pregnant and will also be sitting out this year's Games. She's one of a "small handful" of NBC employees opting out of going.
