Chlamydia

I was talking to a journalist earlier this week about what young women can do to preserve their fertility, and came to the probably unhelpful conclusion that most of it was little more than common sense and a healthy lifestyle. However, the one thing that many young women don't think about is chlamydia, and yet it can have such devastating effects on your future fertility.

Apparently one in ten sexually active young people has chlamydia - and that's an estimate which some believe could be conservative. For up to 80% of women who have chlamydia, there are no symptoms which means people don't worry and don't get tested. It may only be years later that they discover their fertility has been compromised.

When I was writing The Complete Guide to Female Fertility I interviewed a young woman who was in her early twenties, but knew she would have to have IVF in order to conceive. She had sensibly been tested for chlamydia at an early age, but it was already too late. The infection had completely blocked her fallopian tubes (which connect the ovary to the womb, allowing eggs to get from one to the other). She was longing for a family, but was too young to qualify for IVF in her local area.

It's easy to forget about something that has no symptoms, that you may not know you have - but if you could be at risk through unprotected intercourse, it's worth having a test. It's simple and quick - and really could help preserve your fertility.

Chlamydia - fertility threat for men

We've known for years that chlamydia, a sexually-transmitted infection, is a huge threat to female fertility, but new research shows that it's a risk for men, too. Most people who have chlamydia don't have a clue they've been infected. There are often no symptoms at all, or at most very mild, non-specific symptoms. Chlamydia has become a serious problem in the UK, where it's estimated as many as one in ten sexually active women under 25 are infected.

The new study shows that chlamydia can damage sperm quality, affecting the ability to swim and causing defects. Fortunately for men, once chlamydia is detected and treated with antibiotics, the sperm quality does improve. For women, however, the fertility problems associated with chlamydia tend to be irreversible. It can cause pelvic infection and block the fallopian tubes, which carry eggs from the ovary to the womb. If this happens, a woman will need medical help to get pregnant.

All the more reason to get tested. Chlamydia screening involves a simple urine test or swab, and antibiotics are prescribed if the test comes back positive. Most at risk are young people who have unprotected sex, and the more partners you have, the more likely you are to get chlamydia. Even those who aren't considering parenthood in the near future should think about going for a test to make sure they aren't putting their long-term chances of having a family at risk.