Recent investigations into outbreaks of emerging infections have highlighted the potential role of sexual transmission of viral pathogens not commonly considered STIs. Prior to the West Africa Ebola epidemic, there was limited scientific understanding of how long Ebola virus could persist in body fluids of people who recovered from the disease. With the explosive spread of Zika virus disease among Western Hemisphere populations naïve to the infection, sexual transmission has emerged as a mode of infection more common than anticipated. This session will explore the state of the science related to the role of sexual transmission in the recent and ongoing Ebola and Zika epidemics. The presenters will highlight results from recent studies and programmatic evaluations of sexual transmission and persistent infections, the role of behavioral counseling and risk communication, and how the science relates to current recommendations and research priorities.