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BABIES AND STDS |
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When a pregnant woman has an STD, it can infect her baby as well. This can happen
before birth, or while the baby is being born. An infection that is mild in a grown
person can make a newborn baby very sick, or cause it to die.
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What if I am planning to get pregnant?
- If you think that you, or your sex partner, might be infected, go to a doctor or
clinic and get tested for STDs. Most STDs can be cured. It is important that you
get treated before you get pregnant. Some of the medicines used to treat STDs could
affect your baby.
- HIV/AIDS can’t be cured, but knowing you have HIV (the AIDS virus) can help you
decide about not getting pregnant.
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What if I am already pregnant?
- Talk with your doctor about being tested and treated. The medicines used to treat
some STDs are different when you are pregnant, because they can affect the baby.
The doctor who takes care of the baby after it is born can be prepared to treat
it for any STD it caught from you.
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Which STDs affect babies?
- Several STDs are very serious for babies. They include the most common STDs; Chlamydia
and Gonorrhea, as well as Herpes, Syphilis, Warts, and worst of all HIV/AIDS.
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