Indulging in certain activities while pregnant may harm your baby

The amount of information regarding safe sex for pregnant women is limited


September 07, 2017
A pregnant woman. PHOTO: REUTERS

It has been observed that women could experience severe consequences if they have oral sex while pregnant, The Independent reported.

Due to the compromised immune system, pregnant women are exposed to greater risk of contracting STIs, particularly in the third trimester. The biggest risks become apparent if the expecting mother or her partner contract genital herpes.

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The author of The Good News About The Bad News: Herpes: Everything You Need to Know, Terri Warren, told Vice that if the expecting mother contracts the disease while pregnant, the baby has a 50 per cent chance of being born with it. However, it is also pointed out that risks are greatly reduced for babies born through the cesarean way, obstetrician Natalie Greenwold explained.

“If they are born through vaginal delivery and the mother has contracted herpes, it is far more dangerous for the unborn child, who will likely enter the world with an STI,” she told The Independent. There is even a possibility of infant death if there is further infection at birth.

Thus, for mothers who do have an STI a cesarean birth is the far safer method of delivery. STIs can be transmitted even if a condom is worn, therefore, the safest way to avoid infection of the pregnant mother is to abstain from engaging in oral sex all together, STI experts advise.

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The amount of information regarding safe sex for pregnant women is limited, with some arguing that it comes down to the stigmatisation that expecting mothers are not sexually active. Doctors are urging expecting partners to seek help regarding the practise of safe sex from the outset, to ensure that both parents are fully aware of the possible dangers and can subsequently take the necessary precautions.

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