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The Doctors are setting the record straight on a viral email that may have some expecting moms worried! They discuss a viral email which claims that having sex while pregnant could harm your baby.
Watch: How Contagious is Herpes?
The viral email in questions refers to possible problems associated with a woman contracting herpes during the third trimester. OB/GYN Dr. Nita Landry explains that having sex, whether you are pregnant or not, can lead to an STD (including herpes) if you are engaging in sex with someone who has an infection.
Dr. Nita explains that if a woman contacts herpes before getting pregnant or early in her pregnancy that the probability of the child having a problem is "very, very low," saying it is less than 1 percent.
"However, if a woman is exposed to herpes [for] the very first time later in pregnancy, like the third trimester, then the probability of passing something on to the child goes way up," she explains.
Watch: Can you Contract Herpes at the Gym?
Dr. Nita says that 25 to 30 percent of pregnant women in America have herpes, but less than 0.1 percent of newborns get neonatal herpes. She also says if you do have herpes to tell your doctor as you can be put on suppressive medications to potentially prevent an outbreak during delivery.
The Doctors note that couples who are monogamous and who are free of sexually transmitted infections should usually not need to worry about having sex during their third trimester.
