Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Pregnancy

Sexually transmitted disease (STD) is an infection or disease transmitted by bacteria or a virus, and passed from person to person through sexual intercourse or genital contact. In the United States about 2 million pregnant women are affected by STDs each year, while a significant number of women contract a sexually transmitted disease during pregnancy, that can be life threatening.

In fact, the United States is the developing country with the highest rates of sexual transmitted diseases, with an estimated of 15.3 million of new cases reported every year, and women frequently suffer more serious complications from this condition.

Because pregnancy does not offer protection against STD, pregnant women are as vulnerable to sexual transmitted diseases as women who are not pregnant, causing devastating consequences in both groups, although with significantly more dangerous consequences for pregnant women.

It is important to understand how sexually transmitted diseases occur so you can learn to protect yourself and your baby against STD infection. Infection is caused by viruses or bacteria infecting one of the partners and passed through vaginal intercourse. It may also be transmitted through anal or oral sex, if not by the skin touching items other than genitals, and even picked up from genital contact with moist or damp objects such as towels, wet clothing or a toilet seat, like occurs with trichomoniasis.

Although many sexual transmitted diseases may not cause you symptoms, the effects of developing an infection during your pregnancy can lead you to chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, cervical cancer or other types of cancer, if not other diverse complications. However, the most common diseases can be identified timely by observing signs showing that you have contracted the infection.

Trichomoniasis generally appears 5 to 28 days after exposure, developing green, yellow or gray vaginal discharge with a strong odor, irritation and itching of the genital area, with increasing discomfort during urination and sex, sometimes accompanied by lower abdominal pain.

HPV, or Human Papillomavirus, usually has no symptoms, but some women may have visible raised or flat warts in the genital area, alone or in small or large groups, sometimes cauliflower-shaped, causing lesions on the cervix and in the vagina.

Gonorrhea has no symptoms either but for those women who develop gonorrhea usually has mild symptoms that can be mistaken for a bladder or another vaginal infection. Pubic Lice causes itching with other symptoms, which can include discharge with a fishy odor, vaginal itching and painful urination.

You can prevent many other sexual transmitted diseases with a long-term monogamous relationship and a monogamous partner. However, if a pregnant woman is not sure about her partner sexual activities during pregnancy, she should consider using condoms if she wants to have sexual intercourse during this stage, to protect themselves and the developing baby against STDs.