If a woman becomes pregnant while she is infected with certain STDs, or acquires them during the pregnancy, there is an increased risk that she will not be able to carry the pregnancy to term. For example, gonorrhea and chlamydia can cause preterm delivery, miscarriage, premature rupture of the membranes, and infection in the uterus after the delivery. Syphilis, which will be discussed in more detail later in this chapter, can also cause miscarriage and preterm labor. By a common and usually benign infection of the vaginal area (which is usually not considered a sexually transmitted infection), can cause similar problems in pregnancy, as can trichomoniasis, which is a sexually transmitted vaginal infection.
The herpes virus, which causes a very common genital infection that is often symptom free and thus remains undiagnosed, can adversely affect pregnancy. Infection during the first trimester increases a woman’s risk of miscarriage. A woman who becomes infected with herpes while she is pregnant is at risk of transmitting the virus to the child (either in the womb or at delivery), especially if she becomes infected during the last trimester of the pregnancy. For women with a history of genital herpes who become pregnant, this happens much less frequently.
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