STD and Pregnancy

STD or Sexually Transmitted Diseases are those diseases that infect a person during sexual intercourse with someone, who already has that disease. It can be transferred through mouth, and genitals. Names of few common STDs are Herpes, HIV/AIDS, Chlamydia, Genital warts, Hepatitis B, Syphilis, Gonorrhea and Trichomoniasis. STD and pregnancy are closely related as it may mean the transfer of the disease from the mother to the child. STD and pregnancy can cause a lot of complication during delivery, and can be contagious too. Therefore, it is necessary to know about STDs and take precautions, before they are transferred to the babies.

Symptoms:

There may or may not be any apparent symptoms of STD or sexually transmitted diseases. However, the following common symptoms can determine the presence of some or the other STD.

• Sores, warts, or bumps near the mouth, genitals or anus
• Swelling and redness in the genitals
• Too much and frequent itching near or inside the genitals
• Pain during urination
• Pain during sex
• Weight loss
• Dysentery
• Night sweats
• Skin rashes with yellow skin
• Loss of appetite
• Pungent odor with vaginal discharge, and occasionally too much of it.

STD and Pregnancy- relations

1. HIV/AIDS- If proper medication is not taken, then this fatal virus can claim the life of both the mother and the child. However, modern medicines, are very effective these days, and can reduce the chance of the transmission of this disease to less than 2%.
2. Herpes- there is no chance of the baby getting infected during the course of pregnancy. However, it can get really contagious during delivery. The viruses start multiplying at a faster rate during labour. Any woman, who is aware that she has herpes, should prefer a caesarean delivery. Anti viral pills should be taken during pregnancy.
3. Genital Warts- In this disease, a cluster like structure grows in the genital part. In most cases, the pregnancy hormones make the wart large enough to block the passage of delivery. In that case the child has to be operated out. Treatment of genital warts is possible, if it is contracted before pregnancy. However, its treatment may be postponed to post delivery, if it is contracted after conceiving.
4. Chlamydia- The newborns get eye infection, if the mother suffers from this disease. There is also an increased risk of miscarriage and premature delivery. This STD and pregnancy can be moderated with the help of antibiotics.
5. Gonorrhea- If this infection is not treated during pregnancy; it can lead to premature delivery and miscarriage. The baby can bear blindness, or be infected with severe blood infections, and joint infections. It should always be diagnosed treated before pregnancy, by administering a test on swab or vaginal fluid. The mother can be treated with antibiotics, while the child can be saved from Gonorrhea blindness with the help of eye drops right after birth.
6. Hepatitis B- This liver infection can be transmitted to the baby through placenta. The baby is likely to born with this infection. Therefore, hepatitis B vaccine should be taken, by both the mother and the child.
7. Syphilis- If this sexually transmitted disease is passed to the infant during pregnancy, the baby can have severe problems in brain, eyes, ears, heart, bones, skin, and teeth. Many a times, the infant is born with diseases in all of these body parts. The child has more mortality tendency. Antibiotics should be taken by the mother.
8. Trichomoniasis- The baby does not get the infection during delivery but during the terms of pregnancy. There may be enough possibilities of preterm delivery. Proper and simple medicine can treat it completely.

Therefore, there are several ways to treat these infections. STD and pregnancy can be made much safer with the help of these treatments, so that both the mother and the child can lead a healthy life. All that the mother has to do is visit the doctor and observe a regular course of treatment, whenever she experiences any of the above symptoms of STD.