Infertility and Chlamydia
November 28, 2008
There are many reasons why certain couples are infertile. Infertility is an inability for a woman to get pregnant. Among these reasons is Chlamydia. It is estimated that a quarter of all cases of infertility could be caused by Chlamydia.
What is Chlamydia?
It is a sexually transmitted bacteria-like organism. From 1995, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of people diagnosed with Chlamydia. It is estimated that up to half of all people in the UK are infected. Again, about 10% of all young people who are sexually active are currently infected with Chlamydia.
Symptoms of Chlamydia Infection
About 50% of men and 70% of women who get infected with Chlamydia do not show any symptoms at all. This is responsible for low number of people who seek treatment and also the rate at which the disease is spreading. However, penile discharge or discomfort when passing urine in men, and urethra or cervical infection in women are some of the early symptoms of Chlamydia infection.
Those women who experience symptoms may experience some kind of cystitis or a slight increase in vaginal discharge. In addition, the following are also considered as symptoms: bleeding between periods, bleeding after sex, and discomfort and pain during sex due to inflamed cervix.
Effects of Chlamydia on fertility
Left untreated, the infection can lie dormant for many months before spreading through the cervix to the fallopian tubes where it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This could be responsible for lower fever, abdominal pain and painful sex. The inflammation is not however serious I many women. PID can lead to blockage of the fallopian tubes if left untreated. The result is infertility.
It has been discovered that Chlamydia is currently the most common cause of PID. About 165,000 women are diagnosed a year with the disease. About 25% of all infertility cases are due to Chlamydia infection.
Treatment of Chlamydia
Chlamydia must be treated early before it develops into pelvic inflammatory disease. There are genitourinary medicine clinics well equipped for making accurate diagnosis of Chlamydia. Men can be diagnosed through urethral swab while women are usually diagnosed through cervical swabs. Chlamydia is effectively treated with antibiotics.
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