Sexually transmitted diseases are dangerous for reproductive, maternal and newborn health. pelvic inflammatory disease associated with salpingitis or tubal scarring in women is the result of untreated chlamydial infection. Women who have pelvic inflammatory diseases are more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancies can even lead to the death of the mother if it is not deducted early. Genital cancers like cervical cancer are linked to the infection caused by the human papillomavirus.

Untreated STIs also lead to congenital and perinatal infections. Untreated early syphilis can result in stillbirth. Gonococcal infection result in low birth weight and premature deliveries and even in perinatal deaths. In the absence of proper treatment, most babies who are born to mothers with untreated gonorrhoea and untreated chlamydia develop a serious eye infection (ophthalmia neonatorum), which can lead to blindness if not treated early. Prevention and early management of STIs are the crucial to stop diseases and deaths of both mothers and infants.

Health problems	Issues to maternal health	Issues to infant health
Gonorrhoea	Preterm delivery, chronic pelvic pain, pelvic inflammatory disease (not specific to pregnancy and childbearing), infertility, ectopic pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, postpartum endometritis, prelabour rupture of membranes (specific to pregnancy and childbearing).	Preterm delivery, neonatal conjunctivitis, low birth weight.
Chlamydia	Pelvic inflammatory disease, chronic pelvic pain (not specific to pregnancy and childbearing), infertility, ectopic pregnancy	Preterm delivery, low birth weight, neonatal conjunctivitis, pneumonia, otitis.
Genital herpes	Aseptic meningitis, transverse myelitis (not specific to pregnancy and childbearing), dissemination of infection (especially third trimester), spontaneous abortion (specific to pregnancy and childbearing).	Preterm delivery, neonatal herpes, encephalitis, dissemination of infection, skin/eye/mouth infection, enhanced mother-to-child transmission of HIV
Hepatitis B	Chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver cancer (not specific to pregnancy and childbearing).	Perinatal hepatitis B
Trichomonas	Chronic inflammation of mucosa, leading to enhanced risk of HIV transmission to women.	Preterm delivery, low birth weight.

Health problems	Preventive interventions	Delivery mechanisms
Lack of comprehensive knowledge and understanding about sexuality, reproduction and sexual/reproductive health and adverse health outcomes (including poor infant health outcomes)	Age-appropriate comprehensive sexual health education and services (including production of information and materials in local languages)	Delivered in schools such as schools (including by parents at home)
Lack of awareness of risk of acquisition of HIV and other STIs	Information and education	Community settings
Unsafe sex	Safer sex promotion (individual-, group- and community-level behavioural interventions); condom promotion for dual protection against STIs and unwanted pregnancies; increased access to condoms	Community settings
Lack of awareness of infections/symptomless infections	Screening	Primary care facilities; mobile health camps
Lack of treatment/services for already acquired STIs	Accessible and affordable treatment (individual or mass) and other relevant health services for people in need	Primary care facilities; mobile health camps
Social, economic and cultural barriers	Structural interventions	Community settings