Having an STD when you are pregnant is a serious health concern. Your wellness and wellbeing become of supreme importance when you are supporting another life.
A sexually transmitted disease – also known as an STD – can affect the wellness of pregnant women and her unborn baby. Pregnant women are not immune to STDs and should receive immediate medical attention if they think they may have contracted or be carrying one.
If you are pregnant, you will possibly find that you are automatically screened for STDs by your doctor at one of your first visits. This is to find out whether or not you are carrying one, so that proper medical care can be taken of you and your unborn baby. Throughout your pregnancy, you may have further tests to find out how any treatment is working and to keep an ongoing check on your wellness.
STDs include things like genital warts, HIV/AIDS, syphilis, herpes, gonorrhoea, chlamydia and HPV and can cause symptoms such as painful urination and intercourse, weight loss, bumps, sores, warts, severe itching, rash, jaundice, aches, fevers, chills, and discharge from the genital area.
STDs can sometimes be passed to the baby either during birth when the baby moves through the birth canal or during pregnancy by contracting it through the placenta.
Some STDs are more treatable than others and some STDs are more dangerous than others, so it’s really worthwhile finding out if you have one and what you have, if you even vaguely suspect that something is amiss.
Ideally, the best thing to do is to get screened for STDs before pregnancy if you have any inclination that you may have an STD. If you have taken any sexual risks in your life, then the best thing to do would be to get checked out before attempting to conceive.