Sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) and pregnancy
Sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) can affect the course of your pregnancy, your health and that of your child.
If you have an STBBI, treatments can limit or eliminate risks for you and your child.
On this page:
Screening for an STBBI during pregnancy
If you are pregnant, pregnancy care is essential to ensuring that your child and you are healthy. During your pregnancy care appointments, you will be asked if you have or have had genital herpes or other STBBIs. You will also be recommended to take screening tests for certain STBBIs. Many people with an STBBI do not show symptoms. You or your partner could be infected without knowing it.
Blood and urine tests and vaginal swabs prescribed at the beginning of your pregnancy include screening tests for the following STBBIs:
Chlamydia and gonorrhea are screened by analyzing a sample taken from inside the vagina. In some cases, these infections can also be screened through urine analysis. Hepatitis B, syphilis and HIV are screened through blood analysis.
In some cases, healthcare professionals may recommend screening tests for other STBBIs, such as genital herpes or hepatitis C.
Certain behaviours increase the risk of STBBIs, such as having unprotected sex or sharing drug paraphernalia. If you or your partner engage in such behaviour, inform the healthcare professionals monitoring your pregnancy. They can assess whether you should be screened for STBBIs during pregnancy.
Potential consequences of STBBIs on pregnancy or a baby's health
A pregnant woman with an untreated STBBI can, among other things:
Have a miscarriage
Deliver prematurely
Have an intrauterine infection (inside the uterus)
Have a stillborn baby
She can also transmit the infection to her child. In newborns, STBBIs can be serious, sometimes even fatal. The child may develop a chronic infection (e.g., HIV or hepatitis B infection), a more or less severe form of the disease (e.g., herpes or congenital syphilis) or develop complications that can have permanent effects on the child’s health and development, such as:
Serious eye infection that can lead to blindness in newborns with gonorrhea
Anemia or liver, spleen and bone abnormalities in newborns with syphilis
Delayed development in newborns with herpes or syphilis
These complications can be avoided or their effects limited by following recommendations for the assessment of pregnant women’s sexual health and STBBI screening during pregnancy.
STBBI treatments during pregnancy
When a pregnant woman has an STBBI, several treatments can prevent complications associated with the transmission of infections to newborns.
In pregnant women:
Treatment of the infection
In some cases, a caesarean delivery may be recommended