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STDs and pregnancy: Get the facts
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Do you need to be tested for an STI during pregnancy?
How can an STI during pregnancy affect your baby?
How are STIs treated during pregnancy?
What can you do to prevent an STI?
What can you do to prevent an STI?
There are several ways to reduce your risk of STIs.
- Abstain from sex. This is the most effective way to avoid STIs.
- Stay with an uninfected partner. Have sex only with a long-term monogamous partner who isn't infected.
- Wait and verify. Avoid vaginal and anal intercourse with new partners until you have both been tested for STIs. Oral sex is less risky, but use a latex condom or dental dam — a thin, square piece of rubber made with latex or silicone — to prevent direct contact between the oral and genital mucous membranes.
- Use condoms and dental dams consistently and correctly. Use a new latex condom or dental dam for each sex act, whether oral, vaginal or anal. Never use an oil-based lubricant, such as petroleum jelly, with a latex condom or dental dam. Condoms made from natural membranes are not recommended because they're not as effective at preventing STIs.