We conducted Mongolia’s first nation-wide cross-sectional survey of
sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among pregnant women attending prenatal
care. Among our 2000 participants, 386 (19.3%) were infected with Chlamydia
trachomatis, 133 (6.7%) with Trichomonas vaginalis, 121 (6.1%) with Neisseria
gonorrhoeae, and 128 (6.4%) were seropositive for Treponemal antibodies. None of
our participants were seropositive for HIV infection. Additionally, 605 (30.3%) of the
women had at least one STI, 133 (6.7%) had a double infection, and 15 (0.8%) had a
triple infection. Our results suggest that STIs are a serious problem in Mongolia.
Pregnant women represent a lower-risk general population; these high STI rates
suggest that at this nascent stage, the identification, treatment, and prevention of
STIs as risk factors for HIV transmission are crucial in the prevention of the
emerging Mongolian HIV epidemic.