How common are STDs among pregnant women in the U.S.?
(Source: Goldenberg et al., 1997) Should pregnant women be tested for STDs? STDs affect women of every socioeconomic and educational level, age, race, ethnicity, and religion. The CDC STD Treatment Guidelines (1997) recommend that pregnant women be screened for the following STDs: • Chlamydia • Gonorrhea • Hepatitis B • HIV • Syphilis Pregnant women should request these tests specifically because some doctors do not routinely perform them. New and increasingly accurate tests continue to become available. Even if a woman has been tested in the past, she should be tested again when she becomes pregnant. Can STDs be treated during pregnancy? Bacterial STDs (like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis) can be treated and cured with antibiotics during pregnancy. There is no cure for viral STDs such as genital herpes and HIV, but antiviral medication for herpes and HIV may reduce symptoms in the pregnant woman. In addition, the risk of passing HIV infection from mother to baby is dramatically re
