STD screening during pregnancy

STD screening during pregnancy is something you should highly consider. Some prenatal care providers screen everyone, no question, unless the mama-to-be doesn't want the tests done. However, it's far more beneficial to have the tests than not. If you do have an STD you need treatment or you and your baby can be affected negatively. The CDC 2006 Guidelines for Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases recommend that pregnant women be screened on their first prenatal visit for STDs which may include:

• Chlamydia
• Gonorrhea
• Hepatitis B
• HIV
• Syphilis

How an untreated STD can affect you and your unborn baby:  Pregnant women with an STD may experience early onset of labor, premature rupture of the membranes surrounding the baby in the uterus, and uterine infection after delivery. Women who are pregnant can also have the same complications as any woman with an STD. Some of these complications include...

• Cancer
• Infertility
• Chronic hepatitis
• And more

If an STD is passed by you to your unborn baby it may result in major problems for your baby, including...

• Stillbirth (a baby born dead)
• Low birth weight
• Conjunctivitis (eye infection)
• Pneumonia
• Neonatal sepsis (infection in the baby’s blood stream)
• Neurologic damage
• Blindness and or deafness
• Acute hepatitis
• Meningitis
• Chronic liver disease
• And more

Extra tip: Research shows that about 2 million pregnant women per year are affected by STDs so it's imperative that you practice safe sex during pregnancy and avoid illicit drugs. Being pregnant is not a protection against disease. Source: Centers for Disease Control & Prevention