STDs That Can Affect a Pregnancy

Untreated syphilis during pregnancy can cause serious complications including stillbirth, and can be transmitted to the baby (congenital syphilis), which itself can cause serious health problems. Chlamydia and gonorrhea can both transmit to a baby during vaginal delivery, potentially causing eye infections or, less commonly, pneumonia. HIV can be transmitted during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding, though effective antiretroviral treatment during pregnancy dramatically reduces this risk, in many cases to nearly zero. Genital herpes, if an active outbreak is present at the time of delivery, carries a risk of transmission to the baby, which is serious enough that a C-section is often recommended in that specific circumstance to avoid it.

The reassuring part is that nearly all of this is manageable with proper prenatal screening and treatment — this is exactly why comprehensive STD testing is standard, routine prenatal care rather than an optional add-on. Catching and treating an infection during pregnancy, well before delivery, prevents the large majority of these complications entirely.