INFECTIONS AFFECTING BOTH MALE AND FEMALE FERTILITY
Many people don’t realize there are a number of infections that can damage fertility. Some can cause infertility in both men and women, some can stop the embryo implanting once fertilisation has taken place, and some can cause miscarriages.
In men, infections in the seminal vesicles or the prostate gland can affect the sperm in several ways. Pus cells will reduce the sperm’s swimming ability and certain infections may kill off the sperm. Some infections can cause blockages in the male reproductive system, stopping the effective transport of the sperm. Cytomegalovirus (CMV), which is caused by a herpes virus, has been linked with low sperm count and inflammation of the testes.
Chlamydia
Chlamydia may sound like an exotic flower but it is actually a sexually transmitted bacteria which can lead to infertility in women without causing any symptoms. It is effectively an infertility time-bomb, which is claiming growing numbers of victims (particularly teenage girls). The Royal College of Physicians’ Committee on Genito-urinary Medicine estimates that it is the most common sexually transmitted disease in our society.
A number of countries, such as Sweden, routinely screen for chlamydia trachomatis and the fall in the number of clilamydia cases there has been dramatic. But there is no routine screening in the UK. It is known as the ’silent illness’ because only a small number of women experience actual symptoms such as a discharge. Men can also get chlamydia. They feel a burning sensation on passing urine. If men do not get the symptoms investigated then they will infect their partners, and possibly damage their own fertility.
In a woman the chlamydia bacteria can lie dormant for many months before passing through the cervix, and from there unnoticed into the womb and up the fallopian tubes where it causes the majority of pelvic inflammatory diseases (PID). If untreated, it can damage the fallopian tubes, resulting in blocked or scarred tubes which can mean infertility or increased risk of an ectopic pregnancy (where the fertilised egg implants into the fallopian tube instead of in the womb). In men it can cause inflammation of the testes and the tubes surrounding the testes.
Women can be screened for chlamydia with a cervical swab and/or a urine test and men can have a urine test. If caught early it can be treated successfully with antibiotics.
Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma
Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum are very common organisms that can infect the genito-urinary tracts of men and women. These organisms don’t always cause infertility, but:
• According to a study in the 1970s, there seems to be a higher frequency of these organisms in the ejaculates and cervical secretions of couples with unexplained infertility problems. And when the couples were treated, pregnancy rates increased.
• In men, this type of infection can decrease the sperm count, reduce motility and increase the number of abnormal sperm.
• These organisms have also been linked with an increased risk of miscarriage.
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