Has TB In Lungs, Lump In Neck. Will Sex Be A Problem?

Hello Rafi,

I hope your wife is already taking treatment for tuberculosis..

TB will not spread from the lump in neck ( lymph node)

But if she has pulmonary ( lung ) TB also ,it can spread through her cough , sneeze and breath.

But the chances of infection are little after taking drugs for 1 month , if the bacteria are sensitive to the drugs( means TB bacteria killed by drugs )

If she is taking proper dosage drugs for past on month , there is no increased riskfor you from intimate relationship.



But I would advice you postpone pregnancy till she complete the six month course.

As such TB drugs ( rifampicin , isoniazide , pyrazinamide , ethambutol ) are considered safe in pregnancy.
The main precaution is ensure she completes the course.
Also make sure she does not have diabetes.

Hello!

Thanks for being with us.

Tuberculosis infection get spread through the air when people who have an active TB infection cough, sneeze, or otherwise transmit respiratory fluids through the air.It does not matter whether tuberculosis is sputum positive or negative though risk is higher with sputum positive cases.Transmission should usually occur from people with active TB (sputum positive), those with latent infection are not thought to be much contagious.

People with prolonged, frequent, or close contact with patient with TB are at particularly high risk of becoming infected, with an estimated 22% infection rate.The probability of transmission from -one person to another depends upon several factors, including:--
-number of infectious droplets expelled by the carrier,
-effectiveness of ventilation,
-the duration of exposure,
-virulence of the M. tuberculosis strain,
-level of immunity in the uninfected person.

The cascade of person-to-person spread can be circumvented by effectively segregating those with active TB (sputum positive) and putting them on anti-TB drug regimens. After about two weeks of effective treatment, subjects with nonresistant active infections generally do not remain contagious to others.

Lump in neck will not transmit the infection by direct contact.

If she is sputum positive it is better to avoid close contact till completion of 2 months of TB treatment.Get sputum testing done after 2 months and if it is negative then you may have close contact.

You can plan for pregnancy and child after completion of 2 months of TB treatment as most of the drugs used for non resistant TB are safe during pregnancy but my suggestion is better to avoid pregnancy till completion of TB treatment for 6 months.

Tuberculosis never gets transmitted to child during pregnancy or child birth.

If she has undergone sputum culture sensitivity and found to be multi-drug resistant TB ,she needs to be isolated and pregnancy should be avoided till completion of TB treatment as most of the drugs used for MDR-TB are teratogenic and have serious side effects.

Hope you could be able to take decision with this information.

Wish you and your wife good health.

Hello!
Thanks for posting your query.

Transmission of tuberculosis usually occur through the air when people who have an active TB infection(sputum positive) cough, sneeze, or otherwise transmit respiratory fluids through the air.

The probability of transmission from one person to another depends upon several factors, including:--
-number of infectious droplets expelled by the carrier,
-effectiveness of ventilation,

After about two weeks of effective treatment, subjects with nonresistant active infections generally do not remain contagious to others.

Lump in neck will not transmit the infection by direct contact.

If she is sputum positive it is better to avoid close contact till completion of 2 months of TB treatment.Get sputum testing done after 2 months and if it is negative then you may have close contact.

You can plan for pregnancy and child after completion of 2 months of TB treatment as most of the drugs used for non resistant TB are safe during pregnancy but my suggestion is better to avoid pregnancy till completion of TB treatment for 6 months.

Tuberculosis never gets transmitted to child during pregnancy or child birth.

If she has undergone sputum culture sensitivity and found to be multi-drug resistant TB ,she needs to be isolated and pregnancy should be avoided till completion of TB treatment as most of the drugs used for MDR-TB are teratogenic and have serious side effects.

Hope you could be able to take decision with this information.

Wish you and your wife good health.