While the safest way to avoid unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases is not to have sexual relations, using condoms or other protection can go a long way toward preventing such risks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Teenage girls and older women alike, even during planned pregnancies, also run a small risk of complications related to their pregnancies, according to the March of Dimes.
HIV
HIV, the illness that leads to AIDS, is a major risk of unprotected sex, according to the CDC. Condoms, preferably coupled with spermicide, are considered the safest form of sexual protection. However, condoms even when used properly are not 100 percent effective against HIV, STDs or pregnancy. If you have unprotected sex while pregnant and contract HIV, you could also pass it in to your unborn baby.
Ectopic Pregnancy
Ectopic pregnancy happens when a fetus lodges in a fallopian tube rather than the uterus, according to the Mayo Clinic. While medical professionals don’t always know why some pregnancies become tubal rather than traditional, the risks of ectopic pregnancies and other complications are higher among women who had a number of sexual partners before pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancies can’t be changed into normal deliveries; they must be medically treated through drug injections or surgery. Failure to detect and treat ectopic pregnancy can lead to loss of fertility and even death. These types of pregnancies are usually detected during the first trimester; hopeful moms who suffer from one tubal pregnancy and get prompt treatment can usually still move on to have a healthy child after another conception.
Placental Abruption
Placental abruption is rare, but a potentially serious risk resulting from pregnancy, according to the Mayo Clinic. If the placenta dislodges from the uterine wall, both the mother’s and the baby’s lives are at risk. Women who have had previous pregnancies, smoke or use drugs, are carrying multiples, such as twins or triplets, have high blood pressure or who are over 35, have a markedly higher risk of placental abruption. Death of the fetus from lack of nutrition and oxygen, death of the mother from too much bleeding that causes shock in the body, birth defects in the child and loss of fertility can result from placental abruption. Sometimes, an emergency hysterectomy of the uterus is required to treat this condition. As with any other pregnancy risk, prompt detection and treatment of unusual symptoms including excessive vaginal bleeding is essential.
Photo Credit
- condom studio isolated – safe sex concept image by dinostock from Fotolia.com
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