Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) in pregnancy are encountered worldwide and contribute to adverse fetal outcome.

Methodology: This is a 20 year retrospective record based study done in the STI clinic of our tertiary care  center.

Results: There were 220 pregnant women with STI’s, accounting for a frequency of 14.83%. Some cases had multiple STI’s and so the total number of STI’s observed were 233. The mean age was 24.06 years. The majority of the pregnant women with STI’s were primi (82.72%). Majority of antenatal STI’s were married (99.09%), the source of contact was marital in 93.63% and type of contact, heterosexual (100%). Viral STI’s were the most common, accounting for 136 cases (58.37%). However syphilis was the commonest STI as a single group encountered in pregnant women, 89 cases (38.19%). Condyloma acuminata accounted for 70 (30.04%) and herpes genitalis 62 (26.61%). Syphilis was again the commonest STI seen in the marital partner (59.02%). The prevalence of genital discharge STI was only 3%. There were no bacterial vaginosis or HIV cases.

Conclusions: This study showed a low prevalence of STI’s in pregnant females. History of abortion was most common in pregnant women who had current syphilis (‘P’ <0.001). Syphilis was the commonest STI as a single group, while viral STI’s were the maximum. There were no cases of bacterial vaginosis and HIV infection .

Keywords: Pregnancy, Sexually transmitted infections, Syphilis.

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Dr Sheena Ann Simon

Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala