A service provided by the BC Centre for Disease Control

A-Z topics

Pregnancy

If you think you may be pregnant, the only way to really know is to get a pregnancy test. Many pregnancy tests will be accurate at the time your period is due. If a pregnancy test is done too early, it may not be accurate because the test cannot detect the change in hormones yet. The test may need to be repeated with an early morning urine sample or a few days later to be certain.

Home pregnancy tests can be bought at a drug store. You can also go to your health care provider or a clinic to get a pregnancy test.

If you are pregnant and not sure what to do, it can help to talk to someone about your options. What is best for you will depend on your life situation. Talk with your local health unit, youth clinic, or health care provider about supports to help you decide about the pregnancy. Other providers, such as Options for Sexual Health have trained people who can help you to explore your options.

Pregnancy and STIs

Pregnant women are usually tested for STIs including syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV as part of their prenatal care. STIs can be passed to the baby during pregnancy and delivery, and through breast milk.Prevention and treatment is important in pregnancy because STIs can cause serious harm to a mother and baby including premature labour, uterine infection, infant blindness, deafness and death. There are STI medicationsthat are safe to take during pregnancy.

When a pregnant woman has HIV, medication greatly lowers the chances of passing HIV to the baby.