High burden of Mycoplasma genitalium and other reproductive tract infections among pregnant women in Papua New Guinea

There is a pressing need for detailed knowledge of the range of pathogens, extent of co-infection and clinical impact of reproductive tract infections (RTIs) among pregnant women. Here, we report on RTIs (, , , bacterial vaginosis and vulvovaginal candidiasis) and other sexual and reproductive health indicators among 699 pregnant women in Papua New Guinea (PNG). We found widespread infection (12.5% of women), the first time this pathogen has been reported in PNG, with no evidence of macrolide resistance. Most pregnant women (76.2%) had at least one RTI, most of which are treatable. Excluding syphilis, sexually-transmitted infections were detected in 37.8% women. Syndromic management of infections is greatly inadequate and there was remarkably little use of contraception; 98.4% report never having used barrier contraception. This work has implications for improving maternal and child health in PNG.