Here at Aspire Clinic, we strongly recommend that women with an unwanted pregnancy should get a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) test before they choose to have an abortion. The primary purpose of having the test administered is to prevent a possible STD from being distributed and causing any further harm to a women’s reproductive system.
BEFORE STD TESTING
Even if you have performed several home tests, it is strongly advised that you have a professional perform a medical-grade pregnancy test to confirm the pregnancy results. Afterward, you should have an ultrasound performed to visually confirm that the pregnancy is legitimate and to confirm how long you have been pregnant. Only after having these tests performed should you then get yourself tested for any STDs. Dealing with an unplanned pregnancy and with an undiagnosed, untreated STD could pose disastrous health risks for you and should be avoided.
TYPES OF STDS
STDs are also referred to as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and are passed between individuals during sexual activity and contact. There are several kinds of STDs, each with different, harmful effects on the human body:
- Gonorrhea
- Herpes
- Chlamydia
- Hepatitis (particularly B, and less commonly Hep A or Hep C)
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS)
Some people have these diseases but do not show symptoms, and thus have no idea that they are sick. Some may show mild symptoms and may believe that they are suffering from a more benign, short-term, or inconsequential infection or disease. Because of this, it is recommended that you have full panel STI testing performed so that your STD results are as up-to-date as possible.
Full panel STI testing will test you for all STDs. While some limited tests can test you for a couple or a few of these STDs, we advise that you get a full panel STD test performed to cover all of your bases.
RISKS OF ABORTING WITHOUT AN STD TEST
You should consider the ramifications of choosing to abort without finding out for sure that you do not have an STD. Subjecting yourself to a surgical procedure such as aborting exposes you to the chance of the disease spreading into other parts of your body, leading to even more severe infections. Before making any major decisions, it is important to learn as much information and facts as you can about the negative consequences of the choice to have the procedure without an STD test. You should talk to a medical professional and have all of your medical questions answered. Here are some risks that you face as a pregnant woman with an STD if you decide not to go through aborting an unplanned pregnancy:
- Low Birth Weight
- Illness in a Newborn
- Miscarriage
- Ectopic Pregnancy (a pregnancy occurring outside of the uterus)
- Still Birth
STD COMPLICATIONS
Undiagnosed and untreated STDs can create complications for you after the unwanted pregnancy is over. This can lead to a serious condition known as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). During the abortion procedure, bacteria have a higher chance of infesting the reproductive system, which leads to PID. It is the most common bacterial infection of abortions and can have serious, life-changing consequences. Two of these serious consequences include ectopic pregnancy in the future or even infertility. If the PID is the result of a chlamydia infection, a woman is more prone to go through merely mild symptoms, even as the PID causes massive damage to her reproductive organs and functions.
ASPIRE CLINIC
If you want to run full panel STD tests and receive advice from medical professionals, reach out to Aspire Clinic. We are a network of pregnancy clinics and education centers providing clear and truthful medical-based pregnancy confirmation and education for men and women facing an unplanned pregnancy or a sexual health crisis.