Without diagnosis and treatment, you can spread these infections to your sexual partner. You can risk your health Untreated STDs can cause serious damage to your body. Untreated syphilis can lead to death. STDs can affect your baby Pregnant women with untreated STDs can pass an infection on to their newborn baby. Chlamydia can cause eye infections and pneumonia in infants.
Herpes can cause fatal infections during delivery, if the mother is shedding the virus.
Up to 40 percent of infants born to women with untreated syphilis die. Infertility Some infections, such as gonorrhea and chlamydia , can damage a woman's reproductive tract. Avoiding these two STDs will lower your risk. Lowering your HIV risk Women with existing STD infections are at increased risk for contracting HIV . For example, a chlamydia infection increases a women's risk of getting HIV three to five times, if she is exposed to the virus.