- Consequences of Chlamydia
- Why does chlamydia cause infertility?
- How to know if I have chlamydia
- What to do to get pregnant
Chlamydia is a Sexually Transmitted Disease, which is usually silent because in 80% of the cases it has no symptoms, being very common in young men and women up to 25 years old.
This disease is caused by a bacterium called Chlamydia trachomatis and when left untreated it can have serious consequences for both men and women, with greater severity for women of reproductive age.
Women infected with chlamydia and who have such complications have a high risk of developing a pregnancy outside the womb, called an ectopic pregnancy, which prevents the development of the baby and can cause maternal death.
Consequences of Chlamydia
The main consequences of infection by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis can be seen in the table below:
| Men | Women |
| Non-gonococcal urethritis | Salpingitis: Chronic fallopian tube inflammation |
| Conjunctivitis | PID: Pelvic inflammatory disease |
| Arthritis | Infertility |
| --- | Higher risk of ectopic pregnancy |
In addition to these complications, when infected women choose in vitro fertilization because they are unable to conceive naturally, they may not be successful because chlamydia also decreases the success rates of this method. However, in vitro fertilization continues to be indicated for these cases because it may still have some success, but the couple should be aware that there will be no guarantee of pregnancy.
Why does chlamydia cause infertility?
The ways in which this bacterium causes infertility are not yet fully known, but it is known that the bacterium is sexually transmitted and that it reaches the reproductive organs and can cause serious changes, such as salpingitis that inflames and deforms the uterine tubes.
Although the bacteria can be eliminated, the damage caused by it cannot be cured and therefore the affected person becomes sterile because the inflammation and deformation in the tubes prevents the egg from reaching the uterine tubes, where fertilization usually occurs..
How to know if I have chlamydia
It is possible to identify chlamydia through a specific blood test where it is possible to observe the presence of antibodies against this bacterium. However, this test is not usually requested, only when the person has symptoms that may indicate Chlamydia infection, such as pelvic pain, yellowish discharge or pain during intimate contact or when there is a suspicion of infertility that arises when the couple has been trying to conceive for more 1 year, without success.
What to do to get pregnant
For those who have discovered that they have chlamydia before observing infertility, it is recommended to follow the treatment indicated by the doctor, taking antibiotics correctly to reduce the risk of complications.
Chlamydia is curable and the bacteria can be eliminated from the body after using antibiotics prescribed by the doctor, however, the complications caused by the disease are irreversible and therefore the couple may not be able to get pregnant naturally.
Thus, those who have discovered that they are infertile due to the complications of chlamydia may opt for assisted reproduction, using methods such as IVF - In Vitro Fertilization.
To avoid chlamydia it is recommended to use condoms in all sexual intercourse and to go to the gynecologist or urologist at least once a year so that the doctor observes the person's genitals and orders tests that may indicate any changes. In addition, it is important to go to the doctor whenever you experience symptoms such as pain during intimate contact or discharge.
