Can STDs Cause Infertility?

If you are struggling to conceive, there can be many causes of your infertility. However, one common underlying fertility issue that is often overlooked is the possibility of a sexually transmitted disease (STD). This problem is compounded by the fact that some STDs that can affect fertility in men and women – including gonorrhea and chlamydia – often go unnoticed due to lack of symptoms.

Sexually transmitted diseases / infections (often called STDs or STIs) are caused by a bacteria or virus that is transmitted from person to person through sexual contact. Because STDs are most common in adults in their 20s, there is often overlap between couples attempting pregnancy and the population with unnoticed STDs.

How STDs Cause Infertility

Sexually transmitted infections can directly or indirectly cause infertility in both women and in men. When a sexually transmitted disease is left untreated, the infections can move up the reproductive system and cause infertility.

When an STI spreads to a woman’s uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes it can cause damage – including scarring or inflammation – that can affect reproduction. The two most common causes of STI-related infertility are pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and other damage to the fallopian tubes.

Tubal factor infertility – i.e. problems with the fallopian tubes – cause about 25%–35% of female infertility. And when a sexually transmitted infection causes pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), it can lead to tubal factor infertility as well as damage to the ovaries that results in infertility.

Pelvic inflammatory disease is most often caused by the STDs gonorrhea or chlamydia. If left untreated, PID can cause irreversible damage to the cervix, vagina, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus, resulting in infertility.

If the fallopian tubes become damaged or blocked, it can cause infertility in two ways: by prevent sperm from reaching the egg in the fallopian tube, and by preventing a fertilized egg from entering the uterus to implant for pregnancy.

Sexually transmitted disease can also have a direct effect on male sexual performance – including such as erectile dysfunction (ED) – that can impact a man’s fertility. And, even if the DTD does not affect the man’s fertility directly – he can pass the diseases to his female partner, causing her infertility.

STDs that Cause Infertility

There are more than 20 sexually transmitted diseases that can cause health complications.

Chlamydia (chlamydia trachomatis) is the most commonly reported STD. But many people who have chlamydia aren’t aware of it because it often has no symptoms. According to the CDC, if left untreated, about 10% – 15% of women will develop PID. And in men, chlamydia can impact sperm health, resulting in male infertility.

Gonorrhea can thrive in a female’s uterus and fallopian tubes causing PID that results in tubal factor infertility. In males, gonorrhea can cause the sperm ducts to become inflamed (epididymitis) causing scarring that blocks the sperm ducts, preventing sperm from entering the female during intercourse.

Human papillomavirus (HPV or “genital warts”) and Herpes simplex virus (HSV or “genital herpes”) can both cause a couple to avoid sex during outbreaks, which can prolong the process of trying to conceive.

HPV can increase the possibility of a woman developing cervical cancer, which can affect fertility. And in men, some types of HPV can progressively turn into genital cancers affecting fertility.

Women with untreated syphilis have a 50% chance of miscarriage or stillbirth. And men with untreated syphilis can experience scarring of the sperm ducts that can prevent sperm from being released during ejaculation, causing infertility.

Mycoplasma genitalium (M. genitalium or M. gen.) is a sexually-transmitted infection that can cause genital pain, bleeding and swelling. M. gen has long been known to be linked to infertility and miscarriage. However, it wasn’t until just 2019 that the first FDA-approved test for M. gen. became available. So, many mycoplasma genitalium cases have gone undiagnosed and untreated, resulting in fertility.

Treating Infertility Caused by Sexually Transmitted Diseases

The good news is that it is both easy and inexpensive to screen for sexually transmitted diseases – making STDs the most preventable cause of infertility.

If STDs are diagnosed and treated soon enough, they are less likely to result in infertility. The earlier STDs are diagnosed, the lower the chance of permanent damage and better the chances of them not causing infertility.

Treatment for STD-related infertility will depend on the type and progression of the infection. Treatment with oral antibiotics – often for prolonged periods – may be sufficient to clear the infection. In some cases, blocked tubes can be treated with tubal cannulation, in which a catheter is used to find the blockage and remove it from the fallopian tubes.

In more severe cases, surgery may be required to remove advanced infections and repair the damaged reproductive equipment. Salpingostomy surgery can create a new opening near the ovary. Salpingectomy surgery can remove a part of the blocked tube.

 Top Austin, TX Infertility Doctor

Infertility issues occur more frequently than most people realize – and they can be the result of something as common as a sexually transmitted disease.

If you have tried to become pregnant without success, Dr. Harper opens Austin, TX practice doors to you with compassion, and more than twenty years of natural fertility experience. She will help you explore and diagnose the underlying cause(s) of your problems conceiving a child. Then she will work with you to discover your personal path to total health, wellness, balance and fertility.

Through the science of personalized integrative medicine she can help you take the steps that can assist you in becoming pregnant and achieving your dream of growing your family.

Infertility Doctor – Austin, TX: 512.343.9355