Pregnancy and STD's

Pregnancy does not give women or their babies any protection against STD's. In fact, getting an STD while pregnant can be much more serious for both the woman and her baby. It can even be life threatening.

How common?

The next table shows the estimated number of pregnant women in the U.S. who are infected with STD's each year.

STD Name	Pregnant Women
Bacterial Vaginosis	800,000
Herpes	800,000
Chlamydia	200,000
Trichomoniasis	80,000
Gonorrhea	40,000
Hepatitis B	40,000
HIV/AIDS	8,000
Syphilis	8,000

Complications

A pregnant woman with an STD may begin labor early, rupture the membranes surrounding the baby in the uterus too early, and get uterine infection after delivery. The STD can be passed to the baby before, during, or after the baby's birth. If the mother is HIV positive, she can infect the baby through breastfeeding. Risks to the baby include stillbirth, low birth weight, pinkeye, pneumonia, neonatal sepsis (infection of the baby's blood stream), neurological damage, blindness, deafness, acute hepatitis, meningitis, chronic liver disease, and scarring of the liver.

Testing/Diagnosis

Pregnant women should be screened on their first prenatal visit if they are at risk of having an STD. Testing should be completed for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, and Syphilis. Pregnant women should request these tests because some doctors do not always perform them.

Treatment

Bacterial STD's, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, can be treated and cured with antibiotics during pregnancy. Anti-viral medications for herpes and HIV may reduce symptoms in pregnant women. Caesarean sections can be performed to avoid passing some STD's to the baby.

Resources: Heritage House '76, Inc.