FAQ
A: STD stands for Sexually Transmitted Disease and STI stands Sexually Transmitted Infections.
A: There are now more than 25 major STDs, including many more that have no cure.
A: Over 65 million Americans are now infected with an incurable STD. Each year 19 million more become infected and almost 4 million are teens.
Q: Can pregnant women become infected with an STD? A: Yes, women who are pregnant can become infected with the same sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) as women who are not pregnant. Pregnancy does not provide women or their babies any protection against STDs. The consequences of an STD can be significantly more serious, even life threatening, for a woman and her baby if the woman becomes infected with an STD while pregnant. It is important that women be aware of the harmful effects of STDs and knows how to protect themselves and their children against infection.
Q: How will they affect me and my baby? A: STDs can have many of the same consequences for pregnant women as women who are not pregnant. STDs can cause cervical and other cancers, chronic hepatitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and other complications. Many STDs in women are silent; that is, without signs or symptoms.
A pregnant woman with an STD may also have early onset of labor, premature rupture of the membranes surrounding the baby in the uterus, and uterine infection after delivery.
The harmful effects of STDs in babies may include stillbirth (a baby that is born dead), low birth weight (less than five pounds), conjunctivitis (eye infection), pneumonia, neonatal sepsis (infection in the baby’s blood stream), neurologic damage, blindness, deafness, acute hepatitis, meningitis, chronic liver disease, and cirrhosis. Most of these problems can be prevented if the mother receives routine prenatal care, which includes screening tests for STDs starting early in pregnancy and repeated close to delivery, if necessary. Other problems can be treated if the infection is found at birth.
A: Yes, STDs affect women of every socioeconomic and educational level, age, race, ethnicity, and religion. The CDC 2006 Guidelines for Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases recommend that pregnant women be screened on their first prenatal visit for STDs which may include:
In addition, some experts recommend that women who have had a premature delivery in the past be screened and treated for bacterial vaginosis at the first prenatal visit.
Pregnant women should ask their doctors about getting tested for these STDs, since some doctors do not routinely perform these tests. New and increasingly accurate tests continue to become available. Even if a woman has been tested in the past, she should be tested again when she becomes pregnant.
A: When you have sx with someone, you are having sex with everyone they have had sex with for the last 10 years, and everyone their partners have had sex with for the last 10 years.
(C.Everett koop, M.D., Former U.S. Surgeon General)
Many teenagers, as well as adults, are indirectly exposed to more than one sexual partner each yeaer because their partner has had sex with someone else.
(Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1994)
Sexually transmitted diseases are spread through vaginal, anal, and oral sex. You can have an STD and never know it, and pass it on to others.
A: The fact is that more African American babies have been killed by abortion during the last 30 years than the total of African American deaths from all other causes combined.
35% of abortions in the United States are performed on African American women, while they represent 12% of the femal population of the country.
(US Center of Disease Control Abortion Surveillance Report 7/30/99)
US Census Bureau
Cervix- The bottom opening to the uterus whihc stretches during labor or abortion.
Conception- Joining of a male sperm and the female egg to form a human being at its earliest stage.
Embryo- Human life in the earliest weeks of development, during which time all the organs are formed.
Fetus- A developing unborn baby wih an observable human structure.
Full Term Pregnancy- The stage at about 40 weeks when the unborn baby is ready for birth.
Last Menstrual Cycle- The date when a woman started her last menstrual period before conception. This is the point in time from which the pregnancy and the age of the unborn baby are measured.
Trimester- An interval of three months used to measure three successive stages of pregnancy, first trimester, second trimester, and third trimester.
Uterus- Female organ where the unborn baby develops during pregnancy.
A: The premature termination of pregnancy and expulsion of an embryo or of a fetus.
Side effects occur with an induced abortion, whether surgical or by pill. These include abdominal pain, cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrehea. Abortion also carries the risk of significant complications such as bleeding, infection, and damage to organs. Serious complications include:
Infection
Heavy Bleeding
Incomplete Abortion
Sepsis (total body infection)
Anesthesia
Damage to Cervix
Scarring of the Uterine Lining
Perforation of the Uterus
Damage to Internal Organs
Death
Breast Cancer Risk
Emotional and Psychological Impact
Spiritual Consequences
You have the legal right to choose the outcome of your pregnancy. Real enpowerment comes when you find the strength and resources necessary to make your best choice. Here are some other options:
Parenting
Adoption
Help is available for those facing an unplanned pregnancy. It can be overwhelming so knowing where to go is so important. Talk to someone you can trust (maybe even someone you don't know) such as your parents, a pastor, a priest or pastor, or perhaps a very good friend. The caring people at CrossRoads Pregnancy Center are available to help you through this difficult time. To find a pregnancy center near you, call 1-800-395-HELP.
A: Yes, Abortion is not just a simple medical procedure. For many women, it is a life changing event with significant physical, spiritual, and emotional consequences. Most women who struggles with past abortions say that they wish they had been told of the facts of abortion.
A: Remember, no person will be required to live with the consequences of this decision as much as you will. If your boyfriend or parents are pressuring you to make a quick decision, explain your needs and try to involve them in counseling to explore your positive options. You have the right to continue with your pregnancy.
A: You may see this unplanned pregnancy as a major roadblock in your life. Thankfully, there are other routes that can get you back on track. Be encouraged to know that many women in the same situation have found the necessary help and resources to make positive choices and realize their dreams.
A: Some symptoms of pregnancy are:
Missed Periods
Nausea and Vomiting
Breast Tenderness
Frequent Urination
Feeling Tired
Mood Swings
If you think you may be pregnant or are having some of these symptoms, you should contact your physician or call CrossRoads Pregnancy Center at 864-223-1147. We can help!
A: "LOVE DOES NOT EQUAL SEX." God made both LOVE and SEX and He knows that they work best when they are together in marriage. He doesn't want to see you get hurt. So think about your future, start over if you need to, but love your future mate enough to wait.
10 Reasons to Not Have Sex (til marriage)
Hurting your relationship with God
Getting pregnant
Heartache
Contracting a lifetime STD or STI
Messing up your future marriage relationship
Losing self-respect
Trashing your reputation
Getting distracted from life goals
Feeling cheap and used
Cheating yourself out of friendships with the opposite sex
SAVED SEX: 100% PROTECTION EVERY TIME