STDs While Pregnant

There’s a common misconception you can have unprotected sex pregnancy. If you engage in sex during pregnancy, there’s a chance you can get a sexually transmitted disease or infection. Pregnancy doesn’t provide women or their babies protection against STIs. 

While sexually transmitted diseases or STDs affect millions of people every day, some STDs are more harmful to pregnant mothers and their babies. 

Key Takeaways

• You can have sex when pregnant.
• With proper treatment and open communication with your sexual partners, it’s entirely possible to have a healthy, happy pregnancy and fulfilling sex life despite a positive STI test.
• Sexually transmitted infections are extremely common, affecting millions of people in the United States every day.
• Certain STIs can be passed to a baby during childbirth, and it’s extremely important to seek immediate treatment for an STI while pregnant to reduce the risk of harming the child.

What Are STDs?

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections that are passed from one person to another primarily through sex or bodily fluids like blood, saliva, genital fluids, or transfusions. They can also be passed during pregnancy and childbirth. 

The CDC estimates that there are somewhere around 68 million active STDs in America at any given time, the most common being bacteria STDS. While bacterial STDs can be treated with antibiotics in 

viral STDs have no cure, making them difficult, though manageable to treat. 

How Are STDs Diagnosed While Pregnant?

Pregnant women, particularly those who are sexually active should regularly get tested to prevent any complications that may arise during pregnancy and childbirth. The test is usually conducted by a healthcare provider like Ivy Fertility, and a blood or urine sample is taken to check if there are any risks for the mother and baby. 

Global treatment guidelines recommend that pregnant women must be screened for:

• Syphilis
• Gonorrhea
• Chlamydia
• HIV
• Hepatitis B
• HPV

Even if your healthcare provider doesn’t perform these tests, you should still request them. Additionally, even if you’ve done the test before, you should make sure to do the tests when you're pregnant. 

Symptoms of STDs

Different STDs present differently in each individual. Let’s take a look at common STDs in pregnancy. 

Syphilis

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection that begins as a painless sore that’s seen on the genitals, rectum, or mouth. The disease spreads through contact with these sores. Syphilis can be passed to the baby during pregnancy, childbirth, or even breastfeeding.

Syphilis can stay in the body for many years without showing any symptoms but can become worse without treatment, damaging the heart, brain, or other organs. Symptoms can include:

• Fever, sore throat and fatigue
• Rash anywhere on the body, typically without any itching
• Weight loss or sudden baldness
• Headaches and swollen lymph nodes

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is a common bacterial STD with symptoms that can go unnoticed.  The disease is treatable and curable but if left untreated, it can lead to serious complications and cause permanent damage to your reproductive organs. Symptoms include:

• Fever
• Discharge from the penis or vagina
• Pain or burning sensation during urination
• Abdominal or lower back pain
• Pain in the vagina, testicles or rectum

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea, also known as The Clap, is a bacterial infection that rarely shows symptoms, especially in people assigned female at birth. Symptoms include:

• Itching sensation around the anus
• Pain during bowel movements
• Cloudy or bloody discharge from the vagina, penis, or anus
• Heavy bleeding during or between periods
• Pain or burning feeling during urination

HIV

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks white blood cells, especially the CD4 cells that help the body fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases. It is spread by contact with certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV, most commonly during unprotected sex (sex without a condom or HIV medicine to prevent or treat HIV), or through sharing injection drug equipment.

If left untreated, HIV can lead to the disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).

• Fever, headache and sore throat
• Chills and night sweats
• Rashes or ulcers on the mouth
• Fatigue

HPV

HPV or human papillomavirus is a viral infection that commonly presents with growths or warts. Some types of human papillomavirus infection can cause different types of cancer like cervical cancer, Cancers of the anus, penis, vagina, vulva, and back of the throat (oropharyngeal), which have been linked to HPV infection. Symptoms include:

• Small warts on or around the genitals, sometimes with a cauliflower appearance
• Itching and discomfort in the pelvic region
• Bleeding during sex

Vaccines can help protect against the strains of HPV most likely to cause genital warts or cervical cancer.

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is a viral infection that can be passed on to your newborn. There are three main types of hepatitis viruses -A, B, and C. Usually, it won’t hurt your unborn baby or affect your pregnancy but if left untreated, it can damage your liver. If you test positive for it, your healthcare provider can help you manage it during your pregnancy to lower the chances of any long-term effects in you or your baby.

• Fatigue
• Fever
• Nausea, vomiting and upset stomach
• Dark urine or clay-colored stool
• Jaundice or yellow skin
• Pain near the liver, under the ribs on the right side of the body

Can I Pass The STD to the Baby?

STDs can be passed onto the baby during pregnancy and childbirth and you must seek treatment immediately to reduce the risk of spreading the infection. Untreated infections can also increase the risk of giving birth to a baby with a birth defect, otherwise known as a congenital disability.

According to the National Institute of Health, the right antiviral medication during pregnancy can reduce the risk of passing HIV to the child. Women with active genital herpes lesions may require a cesarean section during delivery to avoid infecting the newborn.

STD Treatment While Pregnant

If you test positive for an STD, treatment should begin immediately. Your healthcare provider will offer you treatment options based on whether the STD is a bacterial or viral infection. Bacterial STDs like chlamydia and gonorrhea are treated with antibiotics during pregnancy but some antibiotics are safer than others. However, your healthcare provider will choose a medication based on how far you are into your pregnancy.

On the other hand, viral STDs like genital herpes or HIV have no cure but can be managed with certain medications like antiviral medications. The risk of passing the STD to the child is high but can be avoided if treated early and if the pregnant woman sticks to the regimen given by the doctor.  

The Bottom Line

Sexually transmitted diseases or STDs affect millions of people every day but some STDs affect pregnant mothers more than others. This is because they can pass from the mother to the fetus, harming either or both if left undiagnosed and untreated. Nevertheless, with the right diagnosis and treatment, you can prevent harming the baby or passing an infection during childbirth.