Pregnant women with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs or STIs) not only affect the health of the mother but also the fetus at many risks such as: premature birth, low birth weight, miscarriage, stillbirth …
Serious impact on the health of mother and baby
Doctors said that some sexually transmitted diseases can be passed from mother to child during pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding. These diseases have serious effects on the health of mothers and babies such as: syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B, gonorrhea, chlamydia…
In its latest research, the World Health Organization has shown that sexually transmitted diseases – syphilis alone caused about 200,000 stillbirths and neonatal deaths in 2016, making it one of the leading causes of death, leading cause of fetal death globally.
As we all know, one of the three main routes of HIV transmission is transmission from mother to child through the placenta during pregnancy, through blood and vaginal fluids during labor, and through milk during breastfeeding. The chance that a pregnant woman infected with HIV can transmit HIV to her baby is 20-30%. Pregnant women with HIV will turn AIDS faster than others.
For pregnant women, sexually transmitted diseases – gonorrhea can lead to premature birth, low birth weight, premature rupture of membranes, infection of the membranes, miscarriage, and neonatal gonorrhea. The disease can be passed from mother to baby during vaginal delivery.
Particularly for pregnant women with chlamydia – one kind of sexually transmitted diseases, if left untreated, the disease can lead to ectopic pregnancy, premature birth, premature rupture of membranes, and low birth weight babies. Babies born with chlamydia can affect their eyes and lungs.
Both hepatitis B and C viruses can infect the liver and cause damage to a developing fetus. The mother’s chance of transmitting the hepatitis B virus is greater depending on how long the mother has had the disease. The risk is greater if the mother becomes ill during the late stages of pregnancy. Children infected with this virus may be at increased risk of chronic liver disease or liver cancer later in life if left untreated and well controlled.
Can pregnant women with sexually transmitted diseases be treated?
Doctors recommend that pregnant women with any kind of disease during pregnancy are not good for the health of mother and baby. Therefore, all pregnant women must be tested for HIV, hepatitis B, syphilis and chlamydia, gonorrhea, etc.
In case a pregnant woman has symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases, she should immediately go to medical facilities for examination and appropriate treatment or preventive treatment to avoid transmission. transmit disease to children. Regular check-ups and screening tests for sexually transmitted agents during pregnancy not only help detect the disease early, but also help you choose the right birthing method so as not to affect your health. future health of the baby.
Doctors said that the best way to protect the health of women, especially pregnant women is: safe sex ; monogamous sex; Before and during pregnancy, both husband and wife should be screened for sexually transmitted diseases.
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