STIs and prevention of serious complications in women

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Sexually transmitted infections are the main preventable cause of infertility, particularly in women.

Between 10% and 40% of women with untreated chlamydial infection develop symptomatic pelvic inflammatory disease. Post-infection tubal damage is responsible for 30% to 40% of cases of female infertility.

Furthermore, women who have had pelvic inflammatory disease are 6 to 10 times more likely to develop an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy than those who have not, and 40% to 50% of ectopic pregnancies can be attributed to previous pelvic inflammatory disease.

Infection with certain types of the human papillomavirus can lead to the development of genital cancers, particularly cervical cancer in women.

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