Experts have warned about the dangers of having oral sex when pregnant.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in pregnancy can cause serious problems for a baby, and can even be deadly, depending on the type of infection.
Getting gonorrhea and chlamydia when pregnant raises the risk of miscarriage. Passing on syphilis can cause organ damage in newborns while hepatitis B can cause liver disease.
The health risks from contracting a STI are greatest when a woman is in her third trimester, says a sexual health nurse.
Genital herpes is a major concern as getting it at this stage means there’s a 50 per cent chance your baby will get it at delivery.
The warning has come from Terri Warren, author of The Good News About The Bad News: Herpes: Everything You Need to Know.
Experts have warned about the danger of oral sex to pregnant women, especially in the third trimester, when a woman’s immune system is compromised (stock photo)
‘The biggest risk is when a woman contracts herpes in the third trimester,’ she told Vice.
‘If you get herpes in your third trimester, there’s a 50 percent chance your baby will get it at delivery.’
She explains that in the third trimester, a woman’s immune system is compromised, placing them at greater risk of contracting STIs.
Compromised immune system
Peter Leone, professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina’s School of Medicine told Vice that genital herpes is often contracted via oral sex.
Therefore, cunnilingus late in pregnancy could lead to severe complications since the first outbreak usually occurs when the host’s immune response is compromised (such as during pregnancy).
However, the risks are reduced with babies born by cesarean, 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.
STIs can be transmitted even if a condom is worn. It can act as a barrier for fluids but it does not eliminate all skin-to-skin contact. As a result, transmission of STIs such as HPV, herpes, syphilis, pubic lice, or scabies can occur even if a condom is used.
But semen is good for morning sickness
However, experts have also said that giving oral sex is the best way to cure morning sickness.
A psychologist at the University at Albany-SUNY claimed that women who consume sperm from the male who impregnated them are likely to counteract the common side effect during pregnancy.
Gordon Gallup, who works within the university’s psychology department, believes that morning sickness is simply caused by the introduction of semen, a foreign substance, in order to impregnate her.
He believes that women are able to build up a tolerance to the semen that impregnated them by simply digesting more of it.