Surgery may be necessary for infected Bartholin's glands and occasionally for severe skin changes or cancers. Thrush causes no long-term complications, but women with BV have a higher incidence of infection in the reproductive organs and pregnant women with BV have a greater risk of a premature labour. The reasons for this are not fully understood. Warts do not cause any serious complications, but the virus that causes them has been linked to cancer of the cervix. Therefore it is important to have them treated.
Herpes can recur and often causes repeat attacks.
The virus can affect the development of the unborn baby.