Benton-Franklin Health District
7102 W Okanogan Pl,
Kennewick, WA, 99336.
(509) 460-4200
Offering services for individuals facing financial difficulties or lacking insurance.
Mondays - Friday 8am-5pm
Please call to schedule an appointment .
Every Wednesday is walk-in friendly, so feel free to drop by without an appointment.
Pregnancy
Considerations:
Why is
STI Screening important as prenatal care?
·
Common
STI’s such as Syphilis, Gonorrhea, and Chlamydia can be potentially harmful to
the developing baby.
·
Some
STI’s are completely asymptomatic. Even if you are not having symptoms of an
STI you could still be infected. Testing is the only way to be sure about your
STI status.
When
Should You Test?
·
STI
testing should occur at the first prenatal visit, at the 3rd
trimester of pregnancy (28 weeks), and immediately following delivery.
Syphilis:
·
Syphilis
is a disease that exist in multiple stages (Primary, Secondary, Early Latent,
Latent, and Tertiary).
·
Syphilis
is transmittable to the developing baby at ANY STAGE due to
vertical transmission.
·
When
a mother passes the infection on to their baby during pregnancy this is called
congenital syphilis
Vertical
Transmission:
·
Vertical
Transmission is when a disease is transferred to the baby from the mother in
utero.
·
Vertical
transmission of syphilis can happen BEFORE birth occurs. This is
due to sharing blood while developing in the womb via the placenta.
Congenital
Syphilis:
·
Congenital
syphilis is a disease that occurs when a mother with syphilis passes the
infection on to her baby during pregnancy.
·
Cases
have starkly increased since 2022
·
Untreated
syphilis in pregnant individuals can lead to very serious birth complications
such as still birth, low-birth weight, pre-mature birth. Babys born untreated
can develop, deformed
bones, severe anemia (low blood count), enlarged liver and spleen, jaundice
(yellowing of the skin or eyes), brain and nerve problems, like blindness or
deafness, skin rashes, and seizure possibly leading to death.
·
Congenital
Syphilis is a medical emergency and requires antibiotic treatment.
·
Not
all babies born with congenital syphilis have symptoms, but symptoms can appear
during the first few weeks of birth.
Gonorrhea
& Chlamydia:
·
Chlamydia
and Gonorrhea infections if left untreated can lead to infertility. Chlamydia
and Gonorrhea also place you at increased risk of ectopic pregnancy a
life-threatening medical emergency.
·
Untreated
chlamydial infections in pregnancy can lead to preterm labor, premature rupture
of membranes, and low birth weight.
o
The
newborn may also become infected during delivery as the baby passes through the
birth canal. Exposed newborns can develop eye and lung infections.
·
Untreated
gonococcal infection in pregnancy can lead to miscarriages, premature birth and
low birth weight, premature rupture of membranes, and chorioamnionitis.
o
Gonorrhea
can be transmitted from the mother to the baby during delivery. If not
addressed the baby may develop an eye infection.
How do
you test?
·
Testing
should occur at your first prenatal visit with you OB/GYN.
·
Testing
can also be done within the community at places like planned parenthood.
·
Testing
for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, and HIV are available at Benton-Franklin
Health District. At no cost for those without insurance or who are
underinsured. Treatment is also available to those found to be infected with
Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis.