STIs & Pregnancy
June 19, 2026
Online Clinic
Pregnancy & Prenatal Care
Women's Health
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are infections passed through sexual contact. They can be passed through vaginal, oral, or anal sex. STIs can also be passed from a mother to her baby. This can happen before or after the baby is born.
Women planning a pregnancy should be screened for STIs. So should women who are already pregnant.
Screening for HIV, hepatitis B, syphilis, chlamydia, and other STIs is a basic part of good prenatal care. Early detection and treatment are the key. With these, most women can have a safe delivery and a healthy baby. Without them, serious illness could result for both mother and baby.
| STI | Treatment | Symptoms in the Mother (if any) | Effect on the mother (if any) | Effect On the Baby (if Any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia Caused by bacteria. 75% of women have no symptoms. | Cured with antibiotics for the mother. Baby is also given antibiotics if infected during delivery. | Yellow-green vaginal discharge, vaginal soreness, need to pass urine often, with burning or pain. Pain in belly. Low grade fever. | Major cause of pelvic inflammatory disease. Can lead to: Infertility, ectopic pregnancy. | Can be passed on to baby during delivery. Can cause preterm birth; low birth weight; eye, ear, and lung infections. |
| Genital Herpes Caused by herpes simplex virus 1 or 2. Even when sores are present, more than 90% of all newborns don’t get infected. | No cure. Oral medicine can treat and help prevent outbreaks. | Painful sores or blisters in the genital area. Swollen glands, fever, body aches with first outbreak. Future flare ups usually produce milder symptoms. | Pain, discomfort. A C-section may be needed. That’s if sores or blisters are present at labor. Baby can be helped with treatment right after birth. | Miscarriage, preterm birth, birth defects, eye infections, central nervous system damage, death. Can be passed to baby during delivery or pregnancy. |
| Gonorrhea Caused by bacteria. 60-80% of women have no symptoms. | Cured with antibiotics for the mother. Newborns get special eye drops to prevent infection. | Mild itching and burning around vagina. White or yellow vaginal discharge. | Widespread infection, pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, blindness. | Eye infections, blindness, preterm birth or stillbirth. Can be passed to baby during delivery. |
| Hepatitis B Caused by a virus. Spreads through having sex or from contact with an infected person’s blood or saliva. | Treated with rest. Do not take medicines that affect the liver. Vaccines can prevent this. Women who do not have hepatitis B can get these vaccines while pregnant. | Fatigue, fever, appetite loss, nausea and vomiting, and joint pain. Then, yellow color to the whites of the eyes and skin, dark urine, and clay-colored stools. | Can cause liver damage. Can lead to having the baby too early. | Hepatitis B vaccine and immune globulin are given within hours of birth. Two more doses of the vaccine are given later. This prevents infection. |
| HIV/AIDS HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system. It causes AIDS. | Medicines given to the mother lower the chance of giving HIV to the baby. The baby gets medicines after birth. | Chronic vaginal yeast infections; weight loss; swollen lymph nodes. Advanced stages: Skin infections, pneumonia, cancer, central nervous system problems. | Some women have viral diseases during pregnancy. Some cases are severe. A woman with AIDS may get sicker during pregnancy. | HIV can be passed to the baby during pregnancy, delivery, and through breast milk. Mothers with HIV should not breastfeed. |
| HPV Some types of HPV spread through sex and can cause genital warts. | Genital warts can be removed with medical treatment. May be advised to have this done after the baby is born. | Often, no symptoms are seen. Genital warts can take weeks, months, or years to show up. | Genital warts can block the birth canal or bleed a lot. If not treated before delivery, a C-section may be needed. Untreated HPV can lead to cervical cancer. | Slight chance that the baby could get warts on the vocal cords when he or she gets older. |
| Syphilis Caused by bacteria. It is one of the worst STIs, but can be treated. | Can be cured with antibiotics before the 5th month of pregnancy. | 1st stage: Large, painless sore (chancre) where organism entered body (often genitals or lips). 2nd stage: Widespread skin rash, spotty hair loss, swollen glands, sore throat. | Can lead to heart failure, blindness, nervous system defects, death. | Can cause damage to skin, bones, eyes, teeth, liver. Can lead to vocal cord and breathing problems. May cause stillbirth. Can be passed to baby during pregnancy. |