Monday, March 25, 2024
HomeExclusiveCan Chlamydia Cause Infertility In Males

Can Chlamydia Cause Infertility In Males

How Long Does It Take For Chlamydia To Cause Infertility In Males And Females

Can Chlamydia Cause Infertility In Males- Prevention Tips

Women who get infected with this condition may be affected with a PID or pelvic inflammatory disease . PID is a condition that can scar the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and womb of the infected woman and if the condition has been there for long then it may lead to scarring and blockage in the fallopian tubes. If such a condition occurs in men, then it may hamper the sperm to get to the egg. This means that if this condition develops in PID, it may lead to infertility.

Chlamydia may affect male fertility also a great deal by affecting the quality of the sperm and also by reducing the sperm count. This condition also increases the chances of infection in the tube that carries sperms, which is also known as epididymitis. This may lead to scarring in the male reproductive parts and, thus, leads to infertility. However, there are no definitive parameters to establish a chlamydia infertility timeline. In simple words, it is difficult to establish how long will it take for this condition to cause infertility is not clearly known. If you are wondering how to know if chlamydia has caused infertility, it mainly depends on the extent of infection and it helps in determining whether or not it may lead to infertility. Therefore, in order to be safe, it is better to treat it as soon as you establish any signs or symptoms of the disease.

Study Links Chlamydia To Male Infertility

A study conducted in 2019 by researchers at the Queensland University of Technology provided evidence of a connection between male infertility and the Chlamydia bacterial infection.

It has been known that the Chlamydia bacteria can infect various parts of the male body. One particular part of the interest in this study was the testicles.

There were 18 donors part of the study. A testicular biopsy was taken from all the male participants in the study. Researchers found Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria present in 12 of these testicular biopsies that were taken.

All these cases accounted for men who had not been diagnosed with Chlamydia in the past. The male patients also had no obvious signs of this sexually transmitted infection previously.

The men tested in the study had no obvious physical cause behind infertility they suffered. In the same study, previously obtained testicular biopsies were tested. A total of 95 male participants had biopsies taken from them. The Chlamydia bacteria were detected in 45.3% of these biopsies too.

How Common Is Ectopic Pregnancy

A little over 1% of all pregnancies in the UK are ectopic. The great majority of ectopic pregnancies result in miscarriage.

However, if the egg does implant in a fallopian tube, the woman needs to be treated or undergo surgery to remove the egg. Ectopic pregnancies are very dangerous and they can lead to internal bleeding.

Read Also: Where To Get Free Chlamydia Treatment

How To Treat Infertility Caused By Chlamydia Infection

Chlamydia is a pathogen which can infect men’s and women’s reproductive systems. If chlamydia infection is left untreated or has been maltreated, it may cause infertility.

How does chlamydia cause infertility?How to treat infertility caused by chlamydia infection?

  • Page:2

How Long Does It Take Before Chlamydia Causes Infertility

Can chlamydia cause erectile dysfunction? What to know ...

When we speak of Chlamydia, we usually think of a disease that is brutal and painful. However, Chlamydia is actually a type of STD or sexually transmitted disease that causes only mild symptoms or even asymptomatic reactions once transmitted. This is in fact the most common STD in the United States with an estimate of 2.8 million reported cases every year according to the Center for Disease Control. However, despite being a common and widespread STD, a lot of us still no very little about this particular infection. Only a few are even aware that Chlamydia can actually cause infertility in the long run. But the real issue is how long does it take before Chlamydia causes infertility?

Before answering the question, let us first state some facts about Chlamydia. Chlamydia is a condition that is caused by a bacterium known as Chlamydia trachomatis. This type of pathogen can be transmitted through anal, vaginal or even oral sex. In addition to this, the bacteria Chlamydia can also be passed from an infected pregnant mother to her baby during childbirth or delivery. Any person, especially those that are sexually active, can acquire this type of disease. Aside from this, the greater the number of sexual partners we have, the greater the risk we also have of infection.

Recommended Reading: Azithromycin 250 Mg Tablet For Chlamydia

High Rates Of Active Chlamydia Infection In The Testes Of Infertile Men

Review date: January 2020

Citation: Bryan ER, McLachlan RI, Rombauts L, Katz DJ, Yazdani A, Bogoevski K, Chang C, Giles ML, Carey AJ, Armitage CW, Trim LK, McLaughlin EA, Beagley KW 2019 Detection of chlamydia infection within human testicular biopsies. Hum Reprod 34: 1891-1898

Chlamydia trachomatis infections are diagnosed in more than 120 million people per year globally, yet millions more of the infections produce no symptoms and remain undetected. Chlamydial infection has been associated with infertility in women, but much less is known about its impact on male fertility. A new study has shown an unexpectedly high rate of active C. trachomatis infection in testis biopsies from infertile men, suggesting it may be associated with the impairment of sperm production.

To address possible links between chlamydia infection and male infertility, research headed by Healthy Male Medical Director, Professor Rob McLachlan AM, collected testis biopsies from more than one hundred men with the one of the most severe forms of infertility: zero sperm count, or azoospermia. The investigators used various techniques to detect C. trachomatis infection in the biopsies and, in some men, evidence of infection in the blood and urine was also assessed.

The main findings from the study were:

Where Can I Get More Information

Health care providers with STD consultation requests can contact the STD Clinical Consultation Network . This service is provided by the National Network of STD Clinical Prevention Training Centers and operates five days a week. STDCCN is convenient, simple, and free to health care providers and clinicians. More information is available at www.stdccn.orgexternal icon.

Division of STD Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-38271-800-783-987

References

1. OFarrell N, Morison L, Moodley P, et al. Genital ulcers and concomitant complaints in men attending a sexually transmitted infections clinic: implications for sexually transmitted infections management. Sexually transmitted diseases 2008 35:545-9.

2. White JA. Manifestations and management of lymphogranuloma venereum. Current opinion in infectious diseases 2009 22:57-66.

3. Kreisel KM, Spicknall IH, Gargano JW, Lewis FM, Lewis RM, Markowitz LE, Roberts H, Satcher Johnson A, Song R, St. Cyr SB, Weston EJ, Torrone EA, Weinstock HS. Sexually transmitted infections among US women and men: Prevalence and incidence estimates, 2018. Sex Transm Dis 2021 in press.

4. CDC. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, 2019. Atlanta, GA: Department of Health and Human Services April 2021.

5. Torrone E, Papp J, Weinstock H. Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis Genital Infection Among Persons Aged 1439 Years United States, 20072012. MMWR 2014 63:834-8.

You May Like: Drugs Used To Treat Gonorrhea And Chlamydia

How Is Chlamydia Treated

Once Chlamydia has been diagnosed through a medical test, a physician can begin to treat the disease and heal the person. Chlamydia can only be cured effectively through prescription antibiotic medications. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control has outlined the following drug protocol for treating the infection:

  • Azithromycin: 1 g orally as a single dosage
  • Doxycycline: 100 mg two times daily for 7-14 days
  • Tetracycline
  • Erythromycin

Any future partners a man or woman has should be evaluated, tested and treated and a person should abstain from sexual intercourse, until the infection has cleared up. Having multiple infections increases the chances a man or woman could experience serious reproductive health issues, including infertility. The CDC recommends that men and women that have contracted Chlamydia be retested every 3-4 months in order to make sure the person has not been infected again. Without following the above mentioned advice, the answer to the question can Chlamydia cause infertility in women and men, is undoubtedly yes.

Chlamydia Reduces Male Fertility By Ravaging Sperm

Chlamydia and men’s fertility

By Roxanne Khamsi

Chlamydia the most common sexually transmitted disease in the US and UK causes dramatic genetic damage in sperm leading to male infertility, a new study suggests.

Men with chlamydia have more than three times the normal level of DNA fragmentation in their sperm, report researchers. However, results from the study also indicate that appropriate antibiotic treatment can help restore the genetic integrity of these mens sperm as well as their fertility.

Until recently, doctors believed that chlamydia threatened womens fertility only. The bacteria responsible for the disease, Chlamydia trachomatis can cause a womans fallopian tubes to become blocked or scarred, making it difficult or impossible to conceive a child.

A study published in 2004 involving Swedish couples seeking infertility treatment found that men with chlamydia infection were less likely to father a child. But researchers have lacked good evidence about why men with the disease develop fertility trouble and how to reverse the problem.

Don’t Miss: If You Take Medicine For Chlamydia Does It Go Away

Routine Testing: Warranted Or Not

The authors suggest this finding indicates that some other, not yet identified, cause may explain how past or persistent chlamydia infection among men could compromise their partners’ ability to get pregnant. They concluded that early infertility work-ups should include chlamydia antibody testing for both partners instead of just the woman, as is now the common practice.

But male infertility expert Larry Lipshultz, MD, tells WebMD that the study did not convince him that this change in clinical practice is warranted. Lipshultz is a professor of urology at Houston’s Baylor College of Medicine.

“Based on this limited data, I would not be in favor of testing everybody for chlamydia,” he says. “The people in this study were not tested for other sexually transmitted diseases that could impact fertility, so it is not really clear if this was a cause-and-effect relationship.”

Chlamydia is easily treated with antibiotics, but it is not clear if treating antibody-positive infertile couples increases their likelihood of conceiving.

“This study raises some interesting questions, but it doesn’t really answer them,” Lipshultz says.

Other Conditions Leading To Infertility

Other conditions that could lead to infertility include:

  • Cancer
  • Problems in the brain centre that controls the hormones which regulate the male reproductive organs.

To identify the cause of infertility in any specific case, the commonest test is the Semen analysis which identifies:

  • The quality of the sperm
  • The quantity of the sperm
  • The activity of the sperm i.e. ability of the sperm to move effectively towards a mature egg and fertilise it.

Click on the following link for a look at the different aspects of semen analysis in greater detail.

Don’t Miss: Can I Buy Chlamydia Treatment Over The Counter

What Are The Causes Of Infertility At Age 40

In couples where the woman is 40 or older, it is likely that the cause of infertility is due to ovary problems associated with advanced maternal age. It is quite common for women at this stage in their reproductive years to experience hormonal imbalances that cause their menstrual cycle to develop inadequately. Moreover, the ovarian reserve experiences a dramatical decrease from age 35 onwards.

Obesity Stis And Infertility

Chlamydia, infertility and pregnancy: what you need to ...

Obesity and sexually transmitted diseases rank among the most important factors causing infertility.

Over the last decade alone, the infection rate of chlamydia has doubled in the UK. Since young teenagers often don’t know about the risk of sexual infections, early infections with chlamydia are very common.

Due to a lack of education with regards to STIs and contraception, young women tend to get tested too late , which results in greater potential for damage to their fallopian tubes.

As for men, it has been widely shown that sperm quality and quantity has waned over the past three decades in the West. Many factors account for this change, such as smoking, alcohol consumption and stressful lifestyles.

Read Also: What Test Is Done For Chlamydia

How Does Chlamydia Cause Infertility

Infertility can be defined as the inability to get pregnant despite frequent unprotected sex over the course of one year. In western countries like the UK, about 15% of couples are infertile. Men are responsible for the couples infertility in half of these cases.

Infertility can be caused by a combination of factors that stop a pregnancy from happening. This is usually the result of genetic factors and environmental factors .

The rise of obesity in rich countries has contributed to the rise in infertility rates, because women who are obese tend not to ovulate as efficiently as those who are not overweight.

How Can Chlamydia Be Prevented

Latex male condoms, when used consistently and correctly, can reduce the risk of getting or giving chlamydia.53 The surest way to avoid chlamydia is to abstain from vaginal, anal, and oral sex, or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and is known to be uninfected.

Don’t Miss: Can You Give Someone Chlamydia After Being Treated

Does Autoimmune Thyroiditis Cause Infertility

Yes, autoimmune thyroiditis, also known as Hashimoto’s disease, is the most common cause of hypothyroidism. The woman’s body makes antibodies that attack the thyroid gland. As a result, a decrease in the amount of thyroid hormones occurs, causing irregularities in the menstrual cycle, among others.

You may also enjoy some further information reading this: Impact of Thyroid Hormones on Female Fertility.

Male Infertility Is More Common Due To Std

Chlamydia | Top 5 Symptoms Experienced by Men and Women

A recent study has confirmed a link between male fertility problems and exposure to the Chlamydia infection. This is a common sexually transmitted infection. In half of the men, no symptoms will develop once exposed to the bacteria. This leads to complications due to insufficient treatment. Men are advised to undergo testing for Chlamydia frequently if they are sexually active with more than a single partner.

Read Also: How To Get Rid Of Chlamydia In The Mouth

Blood Tests To Detect Tubal Damage From Chlamydia

The most common test to detect chlamydia infection in women involves taking a swab from the cervix during a speculum exam in the doctors office. The swab is tested for chlamydia DNA. The problem with this test is that it does not tell the physician how long the infection has been present, how severe the infection is and whether the woman with the infection has sustained tubal damage. The swab test can also miss an infection that has moved up into the uterus or tubes and is no longer in the cervix.

Blood tests can also be performed to detect the antibodies the body makes when exposed to the chlamydia bacteria. These blood test are fairly predictive for finding women with tubal damage during laparoscopy. A recent study found that the presence of the chlamydia antibody predicted the presence of tubal damage correctly 62% of the time. Conversely, the absence of the chlamydia antibody predicted the absence of tubal damage 90% of the time.

It is important to note that the presence of elevated levels of chlamydia antibody does not necessarily mean that a woman has an active chlamydia infection. It simply indicates that she was exposed to the bacteria. In fact, it is estimated that, if left untreated, about 45% of infected women without symptoms will clear the bacteria from their bodies. In women who clear an infection rapidly, the risk of tubal damage may be low. On the other hand, persistent exposure may result in chronic inflammation and may increase the risk of tubal damage.

How Long Before Gonorrhea Makes You Infertile

As in case of Chlamydia, PID from gonorrhea can cause in between 2 days to 3 weeks after exposure to the bacteria. So technically, the Pelvic inflammatory disease starts as an infection after 3 weeks of exposure to make you infertile. Also, untreated Gonorrhea can spread to the uterus and fallopian tubes, causing PID which may result in scarring of the tubes, causing a greater risk of pregnancy complications and infertility. PID is a serious infection that requires immediate treatment.

Recommended Reading: Places To Get Tested For Chlamydia

Men Are Responsible For About 20

If you and your partner are struggling to have a baby, just know you are not alone. Many people usually think that infertility is a problem only faced by women, but the reality is that male infertility is more common than you think. Generally, infertility is defined as the inability to conceive a baby naturally. If you and your partner have been trying to have a baby for more than a year without success, you might want to speak to your doctor to discuss infertility.

According to the World Health Organization, male infertility is largely underestimated, and that infertility, in general, affects many people across the globe. While there is a lack of concrete data worldwide, researchers strongly believe that men alone are responsible for nearly 20-30% of infertility cases, and contribute to about half of all cases overall.

While there are numerous potential causes of infertility in men, including overall health, genetics and drug abuse, the latest evidence tends to suggest that sexually transmitted diseases, or simply STDs, have a role to play in male infertility.

All You Need To Know About Chlamydia And Infertility

Pelvic inflammatory disease caused by STDs â chlamydia and ...

Can Chlamydia cause infertility? Chlamydia is one of the common sexually transmitted diseases that is caused due to infection with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia is among the most common STDs in the USA. According to estimates by the CDC , it affects 2.8 million people in America each year. Chlamydia may be transmitted via oral, anal or vaginal sex. It may also be transmitted from a female who is infected with the disease to her infant during childbirth. Any person who is sexually active can get infected with the bacterium. The risk of infection increases with the total number of partners you have sex with.

Also Check: How To Cure Chlamydia At Home

RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular