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The most common type of strep infection that is found in the vagina is group B streptococcus, or GBS for short. This is a bacteria that is normally found in the vagina and lower intestine of healthy women. But when you become pregnant, this type of bacteria can pose a threat to your pregnancy and unborn child. It is important to point out that GBS is not a sexually transmitted disease. A lot of women will have no symptoms at all and may be unaware that they carry this bacteria. So how do you know if you have it? When you are pregnant, your doctor can do a swab of your vagina and rectum between your 35th and 37th weeks of pregnancy. If the swab is done before this, the amount of GBS will not be significant enough to show positive. The swab is then sent to a lab where it is cultured. Test results will be known in approximately 24 to 48 hours.
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