The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is urging pregnant women to consider the importance of being tested for sexually transmitted diseases. It says many STD infections in a pregnant woman can also affect their babies, but there are also ways to prevent that from happening if the disease is caught early enough. The state recommends every pregnant woman be tested for HIV, hepatitis B, and syphilis at their first prenatal visit. It also recommends more testing at 26 to 28 weeks. The department of health tells us, in the past five years, Michigan has had three preventable cases of perinatal hepatitis B, three cases of congenital syphilis, and three babies born with an HIV infection. You can find out more at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services website.
