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To assess the role of lower genital tract infections in preterm labour by studying the vaginal cytology among the women who got admitted with complaints of preterm labour. INTRODUCTION: Preterm delivery remains a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. 1 Preterm labour is defined as one where the labour starts before 37 th completed week of gestation counting from the first day of the last menstrual period. Vaginal infection during pregnancy leads to premature rupture of membrane and preterm labour leading to low birth weight and thus in turn causes increase in perinatal mortality. 2 Among the various maternal and fetal factors, vaginal infections during pregnancy is important cause for preterm labour. 3 Studies have found a high prevalence of reproductive tract infections during pregnancy. 4 Tolosa et al. reported a 24.4% prevalence of reproductive tract infections among pregnant women. 5 90% of reproductive tract infections were caused by Candida albicans, bacterial vaginosis, and Trichomonasvaginalis. 6 This study is done to determine the association between preterm labour and lower genital tract infections among the women who came with history of threatened preterm labour to MIMS from August 2013 to February 2014. METHODOLOGY: TYPE OF STUDY: