Approximately 80% of HIV cases are transmitted sexually and a further 10% perinatally

or during breastfeeding. Hence, the health sector has looked to sexual and reproductive health

programmes for leadership and guidance in providing information and counselling to prevent these

forms of transmission, and more recently to undertake some aspects of treatment. This paper reviews

and assesses the contributions made to date by sexual and reproductive health services to HIV/AIDS

prevention and treatment, mainly by services for family planning, sexually transmitted infections

and antenatal and delivery care. It also describes other sexual and reproductive health problems

experienced by HIV-positive women, such as the need for abortion services, infertility services and

cervical cancer screening and treatment. This paper shows that sexual and reproductive health

programmes can make an important contribution to HIV prevention and treatment, and that STI

control is important both for sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS control. It concludes that

more integrated programmes of sexual and reproductive health care and STI/HIV/AIDS control

should be developed which jointly offer certain services, expand outreach to new population groups,

and create well-functioning referral links to optimize the outreach and impact of what are to date

essentially vertical programmes.