Chlamydia threatens male fertility too
Chlamydia has long been known to be among factors of female infertility despite the absence of visible symptoms. According to various studies, the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis can’t be accused of sexism as it also endangers male fertility.
© Thinkstock
Chlamydia infection is the notorious cause of multiple female ailments, such as infertility and ectopic pregnancy. It has long been assumed that most men were protected from chlamydia but researchers have provided evidence that this bacterium can jeopardise men’s chances of conceiving as well.
Chlamydia can put your fertility in jeopardy
A team of Scandinavian and Swedish researchers screened 244 infertile couples for IgG antibodies, which are a sign of past or persisting chlamydia infection. Whenever patients tested positive, their urine was also screened for the bacterium’s DNA. The couples were subsequently monitored for an average 3 years.
The researchers found antibodies in close to one quarter of infertile women and one fifth of infertile men, and only 15.6% of couples who had naturally conceived a child. Of all infertile couples carrying the antibodies, 7.1% of men and 6.8% of women had chlamydia DNA in their urine. It turned out that 3.7% of all participants had chlamydia DNA in their urine, as compared with over 13% of infertile couples.
“As we expected, the proportion of chlamydia trachomatis antibodies found in infertile couples was higher than that in fertile couples” Pr. Jan Olofsson, the main author of the study, said.
Chlamydia and male infertility
In women, cases of chlamydiosis have been associated with tubal infertility, which affects the Fallopian tubes, thereby confirming what was already known. More surprisingly, the presence of these antibodies in men has been found to reduce their chances of conceiving by one third. Oddly enough, male infection is unrelated to tubal infertility in their partners.
Another specifically male mechanism is therefore suspected to be at work here, namely decreased sperm motility or an additional, undiagnosed, infection. As of yet, the authors of this study can only formulate hypotheses. It is worth noting, however, that once conception had occurred, chlamydia infection from the father did not the unborn baby, whether in cases of natural conception or in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Considering the results, the researchers recommend that partners facing infertility issues be both tested for chlamydia. This test would allow them to better evaluate their chances of becoming parents but also to seek medical treatment of the infection before they consider assisted reproductive technology (ART). Further studies have yet to confirm the usefulness of such preliminary tests with respect to pregnancy rates.
Chlamydia: a silent scourge
According to the NHS, chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the UK. Between 2007 and 2008, the number of confirmed cases of chlamydia rose from 121,791 to 123,018. Young people under 25 are most likely to be infected and 65% (80,258) of all new chlamydia diagnoses made in 2008 were in people between the ages of 16 and 24.
A study carried out in the Scottish military showed that as many as 9.8% of subjects were infected. Moreover, 88% of infected soldiers displayed no symptoms, while it is generally acknowledged that 50% of infections are normally asymptomatic. It is therefore critically important to raise awareness of the general public, and men in particularly, about this underestimated and stealthy infection.
This lack of information is especially unfortunate as screening requires no more than a simple urine test. Appropriate antibiotic treatment is particularly efficient against chlamydia infection, provided it’s administered to the patient as well as his or her sexual partner(s), but remember that the best protection against all known STDs remains safe sex and the condom.
Sources:
- Human Reproduction 19; 5:1121-1126
- BEH 16/1999 - Renachla
- Lancet 24 May 2003, vol.361, p.179
Copyright © 2009 Doctissimo
Posted 23.11.2010
Get more on this subject…
