At Pregnancy Care Centers, we care about your health and wellbeing, and monitoring your sexual health is especially important. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are extremely common with one in two sexually active individuals contracting an STI by age 25. If you are sexually active, it’s important to be screened annually for STIs, even if you only have one partner.
What are Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)?
A sexually transmitted infection (STI) is an infection spread through unprotected sexual activity between partners. However, even when using protection such as a condom, there is still a chance for an STI to spread. There are many different kinds of STIs, and a large percentage of them do not present any symptoms.
Common STIs:
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhea
- Hepatitis B
- Herpes
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
- HIV/AIDs
- Trichomoniasis
Health Risks and Complications
If left untreated, STIs can lead to serious health complications, so it’s important to stay on top of your sexual health and get checked if you are concerned. Mayo Clinic reports common complications from STIs which include: pelvic pain and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), eye inflammation, arthritis, heart disease, and even infertility and some cancers. The good news is many STIs are treatable with antibiotics prescribed to you by your doctor.
Pregnancy & Abortion Complications
If you are pregnant we recommend STI testing for the health of you and your baby. STIs can be passed from mother to the developing child in the womb, and the health consequences are severe. These include low birth weight, eye infection, pneumonia, blood infection, brain damage, blindness, deafness, lack of coordination, hepatitis, meningitis, chronic liver disease, and stillbirth.
Additionally, if you are considering abortion, it is important to make sure you do not have an STI before moving forward with any procedure. Abortion presents the risk of transmitting bacteria from outside the body to inside the body or cervix. Having an STI during an abortion procedure increases the risk of developing Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID).
Schedule an Appointment
If you believe you may be pregnant or have an STI, contact our pregnancy center for free and confidential health services with us or our affiliated health organization, ProHealth Services. We are here to help because we care about you. You are always welcome!