Sexually transmitted and reproductive tract infections

It is estimated that a million people acquire a sexually transmitted infection (STI) including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) every day.
In developing countries, STIs and their complications rank in the top five disease categories for which adults seek health care. Infection with STIs can lead to acute symptoms, chronic infection and serious delayed consequences such as infertility, ectopic pregnancy, cervical cancer and the untimely death of infants and adults.

• Global STIs strategy
• See fact sheet

Impact of syphilis in pregnancy
WHO estimates 2 million pregnant women each year are infected with syphilis globally. Pregnant women who are infected with syphilis can transmit the infection to their fetus, causing congenital syphilis. Without treatment, approximately 1.2 million of these pregnant women will transmit the infection to their newborn, who may be stillborn, born early, born with a low birth weight, or congenitally infected as a result.

• More about congenital syphilis
• See partner brief

Threat of global rise in untreatable sexually transmitted infections: Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that remains a major public health concern. It represents 88 million of the estimated 448 million new cases of curable STIs – that also includes syphilis, chlamydia and trichomoniasis – which occur globally every year.

• See fact sheet
• Global action plan to control the spread and impact of antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

14 January 2011 - The Kesho Bora study ("A better future", Swahili) found that giving HIV positive mothers a combination of three antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) during pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding cuts HIV infections in infants by 43% by the age of one year and reduces transmissions during breastfeeding by 54% compared with the previously recommended ARV drug regimen stopped at delivery.

Giving HIV-positive pregnant women (and those planning pregnancy) priority access to ARVs will help eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

• See policy brief
• The Kesho Bora study