Yes, this is possible. Expectant women have the same risks of contagion as other women. Pregnancy does not provide any protection against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) for the future mother, the fetus or the newborn. In fact, under these conditions, the consequences of a sexually transmitted disease can be much more serious. In a pregnant woman, an STD can also cause premature delivery.
A sexually transmitted disease (STD) can be transmitted from the mother to her baby before, during and after childbirth. Some STDs (for example, syphilis bacteria) can cross the placenta and infect the baby when it is still in the mother’s womb. Other sexually transmitted diseases (such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis B and genital herpes) may be transmitted by the mother to the baby during childbirth, when the infant passes through the delivery channel. HIV (the AIDS virus) can cross the placenta during pregnancy, infect the baby during birth or, unlike other STDs, infect it during maternal breastfeeding.
