Pregnancy Health Enhancement

Bacteria in the urine:

At a gestation of 12-16 weeks, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends testing for asymptomatic bacteruria in pregnant women with a urine culture since good evidence supports a reduced risk of urinary tract infection and a low weight at birth. The USPSTF states that a positive test with over 100,000 colonies per ml should be treated. (45)

Chlamydia and gonorrhea:

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that pregnant women 24 years old or younger or those at high risk should be screened for chlamydia and the same population 25 years old or younger should be screened for gonorrhea. High risk is considered by the USPSTF as history of STD (sexually transmitted disease), or have new or multiple sexual partners with inconsistent condom use whether pregnant or not. For women not at increased risk, the USPSTF recommends against routine screening for chlamydial and gonorrhea infection for all women aged 25 and older, regardless of pregnancy status. The USPSTF also notes that a higher prevalence of infection is seen in African-American women, Hispanic women, incarcerated populations, military recruits, and patients at public STD clinics. These patients may also be given higher priority to screen for chlamydial and gonorrhea infection. (37)