What You Need to Know About Chlamydia During Pregnancy
Contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD) during pregnancy can adversely affect your baby. Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection. You may contract it during vaginal, oral, or anal sex. Chlamydia can infect your reproductive organs, mouth, and rectum. You may also pass this infection to your baby during vaginal delivery.
How Does Chlamydia Affect Pregnancy?
Chlamydia is a silent infection as 75% of affected women usually show no symptoms. This means that affected people keep spreading the disease to others unknowingly. Chlamydia requires a special diagnosis and can be treated with antibiotics.
If you are pregnant and infected, you will be given medicines. Your partner will also be treated to avoid re-infection. If left untreated, chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). The other complications caused by chlamydia include:
- Yellow discharge or bleeding after sex called cervicitis
- Painful urination and discharge from the urethra known as urethritis
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Painful sexual intercourse
- Bleeding between periods
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Infertility
- Premature membrane rupture
- Preterm delivery
- < ahref="https://www.cordlifeindia.com/blog/low-birth-weight-babies/">Low birth weight
- Eye infections in newborn
- Lung infections in newborn
Symptoms of Chlamydia During Pregnancy
The common symptoms of chlamydia include:
- Burning sensation during urination
- Green or yellow discharge from the vagina
- Low back pain
- Abdominal pain
- Painful intercourse
Diagnosis and Treatment
All pregnant women are screened for chlamydia in their first trimester. They are once again screened during the third trimester. Chlamydia can be treated only with antibiotics. However, the choice of antibiotic is different if you are pregnant. Your doctor may prescribe a single-dose antibiotic or a seven-day course of antibiotics.
Your doctor will also ask you to do a test after a couple of weeks to check if the infection is gone. Your doctor will again ask you to do a re-test in the third trimester to check if there is any infection.
Chlamydia during pregnancy is risky. The best way to avoid infection is by being in a monogamous relationship. Refrain from having sex if you or your partner is tested positive for chlamydia.