STIs and trying to conceive
Your most common questions about STIS, pregnancy and fertility. Whether you're trying to conceive or thinking about pregnancy, our team explain the basics about how STIs can impact you.
Is it safe to do an STI test if I'm pregnant?
Yes you can, it will not affect your pregnancy if you use a vaginal swab. In fact, it's a good idea to do a swab test for gonorrhoea and chlamydia during pregnancy if you've not tested recently.
Will I get tested as part of antenatal care?
You should be offered a blood test for HIV and syphilis as part of your antenatal screening.
If you haven’t done an test for gonorrhoea and chlamydia recently, its also a good idea to get tested for these as well. You can do this at a sexual health clinic or with an at-home test
Can you conceive if you have an STI?
Yes you can get pregnant if you have an STI. Often STIs can have no symptoms and you might not know you have an infection at the time. Most infections can be treated easily, but some of the medications used to treat them can be harmful during pregnancy. It's important to tell your clinician that you're pregnant or trying to conceive when you're speaking about STI treatment.
Do any STIs cause fertility issues?
STIs like gonorrhoea and chlamydia can cause more complex infections if they are left untreated. This can cause further complications such as infertility, when scarring has formed and blocked the fallopian tubes.
This doesn’t mean that all STIs cause infertility. But it does show why it's important to get tested if you're sexually active, especially if you've stopped using condoms. Most STIs are simple to treat but can cause long-term problems if left without treatment.
Is it dangerous for my baby if I get an STI when pregnant?
Yes it can be. In some cases having an STI can be life threatening to the baby. It's really important to get tested and to understand how to care for your sexual health before and during pregnancy.
STIs can be passed on to an unborn baby in the womb or transmitted during birth. Some complications and side effects of infection can be identified at birth, but others may not be discovered until months or years later.
If I have an STI should I wait until it’s gone to start trying to conceive?
Yes. STIs can affect your overall health and affect an unborn baby. And having sex without condoms can pass an STI to your partner. If you do have an STI, it's important to wait until after you've been treated and cleared the infection before you start trying to conceive.
Tell your doctor or nurse giving the treatment that you’re planning on getting pregnant, this may change what treatment they give you.
Should I get tested for STIs regularly?
The national testing guidelines recommend testing when you start having sex with a new partner and testing once a year if you're having sex with the same long-term, monogamous partner. The most often you should tst - if you regularly have sex with different people - is every 3 months.
If you're stopping using condoms because you want to conceive, it would be a good idea for you and your partner to test before you have sex without this protection.
