REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
Reproductive Tract Infections and
Sexually Transmitted Infections

In proportion to their prevalence and the suffering they cause, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are practically ignored in public health research, interventions, and services.

Non-HIV STIs constitute the second major cause of disease burden (after maternity-related causes) in young adult women in developing countries. Untreated STIs are thought to account for 10–15 percent of fetal wastage and 30–50 percent of antenatal infections and are linked to cervical cancer and ectopic pregnancy. Furthermore, untreated STIs are associated with a significant increase in the rate of HIV infection—by as much as three to five times. Preventing and treating STIs can therefore be an effective means of reducing reproductive morbidity and can be expected to make a major contribution in reducing HIV infection.

The Population Council has implemented a number of research projects in an effort to help find public health strategies that could prevent the acquisition and transmission of non-HIV STIs.

Projects

• Americas: Migration and Sexually Transmitted Infections (Including HIV and AIDS) in the Americas: Lessons Learned and Recommendations
• Bolivia: Introducing Syphilis Rapid Strip Tests in Bolivian Antenatal Care Settings
• Dominican Republic: Use of Latex Diaphragms to Reduce Bacterial STIs
• Mexico: Knowledge and Attitudes About STIs in Mexico
• Mexico: National Survey of Mexican Physicians' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Human Papillomavirus
• Pakistan: National Study of Reproductive Tract Infections in Pakistan

• FRONTIERS projects

  • Burkina Faso: New Approaches to Integrating Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), HIV/AIDS, Family Planning, and Reproductive Health in Bazèga, Burkina Faso

  • Cameroon: Peer Education as a Strategy to Increase Contraceptive Prevalence and Reduce the Rate of STIs/AIDS Among Adolescents in Cameroon

  • South Africa: Feasibility and Cost-effectiveness of an Improved and Integrated Package of Routine Services for Antenatal Clients Attending Public Clinics in South Africa

  • South Africa: Testing the Effectiveness of Community-based Strategies in Reducing Gender-based Violence and Promoting Positive Male Involvement in Reproductive Health Activities

• Horizons projects

  • Brazil: Acceptability of the Female Condom by Sex Workers
  • Brazil: HIV Prevention, Testing, and Treatment for Mobile Populations: Focus on Truck Drivers in Brazil
  • Brazil: Validation of the Accuracy of Prostate-specific Antigen Detection in Vaginal Fluids Obtained by Self-sampling as a Marker of Semen Exposure and Condom Failure

  • Dominican Republic: Evaluation of a 100-Percent Condom Use Policy in Sex Establishments

  • Ghana: Testing Prepackaged Therapy for Male Urethral Discharge Syndrome in Ghana: A Feasibility Study

  • Madagascar: Comparison of Two STI Treatment and Prevention Interventions Among Sex Workers in Madagascar

  • Nigeria: Promoting Dual-Protection Practices Among Women and Their Male Partners in Ibadan, Nigeria

  • South Africa: Evaluating the Carletonville STD/HIV Project

  • Zimbabwe: Female Condom User Study in Zimbabwe

Publications/Resources on this issue
 

---

See Also

• HIV and AIDS

• Microbicides

• FRONTIERS RTIs/STIs

Offsite Link

• The Cervical Barrier Advancement Society
  The Population Council is a member of this international professional network that aims to increase awareness of cervical barriers for contraception as well as prevention of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.

---

Print this page

@ E-mail this page

This page updated 22 October 2007

---