STDs Are the Leading Cause of Infertility in Women

STDs are the leading cause of infertility.

In the US, there are about 5 million people suffering from infertility and a large number of them are due to Sexually Transmitted Diseases – Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. These diseases are known to cause infertility among women, because of the damage it can do to the Cervix.

If these STDs can’t be treated, it will develop into Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases (PID), and this condition can lead to infertility. PID is a term used to define the inflammation of a woman’s uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries, as it can develop to scar formations into the nearby tissues and organs. This may also refer to viral, fungal, and parasitic type of bacterial infections.

PID will happen if the bacteria coming from the woman’s vagina or cervix will move upward, towards the reproductive organ of her body. Those Infection-causing bacteria can easily invade ones fallopian tubes and will lead to the formation of scar tissue. This tissue will then prevent the normal movement of the eggs towards the uterus. If the fallopian tubes are blocked by these tissues, there will be no way that a sperm can fertilize the eggs, and this can lead to infertility among women. And if the fallopian tubes are slightly blocked or just partially damaged, there will be a tendency that a fertilized egg will remain on the fallopian tube, and grow there. This incident is what triggers an ectopic pregnancy.

The sexually active women that are in their childbearing years (under 25) have higher risk of developing PID. The reason behind this is because the cervix of young women is still not that fully matured, and that’s why they are very susceptible to these diseases. If a woman has multiple sex partners, she will have greater risk of developing PID. Also a woman whose partner has multiple sex partners could also be at high risk.

It’s said that there is only one in about ten women that have PID becomes infertile, but if a woman has been diagnosed of PID many times, her chances of becoming infertile increases.

Proper treatment is needed in order to treat the complications brought by PID. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are recommended in treating PID. The treatment includes anti-microbial agents that will treat gonorrhea, chlamydia and any other Sexually transmitted diseases. Appropriate treatment is necessary for women with HIV who may be more likely to have surgical intervention. The infected patient’s sexual partners are also strongly advised to undergo examination and treatment to avoid being infected.