Chlamydia can affect male fertility

Main Category: Fertility
Article Date: 29 Apr 2004 - 0:00 PDT


Researchers have found that chlamydia does not only affect the fertility of women, it can also affect the fertility of men. According to scientists at Unrea University, Sweden, a couple's fertility can drop 30% if the man has chlamydia. It is not because the woman has caught the chlamydia from the man, say the researchers.

You can read about their study in the journal Human Reproduction.

In the UK, experts believe about 10% of the young male population has chlamydia.

In this Swedish study, 244 infertile couples who were attending a fertility clinic were tested for chlamydia antibodies. A positive test result would indicate a present or past chlamydia infection. They also tested for chlamydia DNA for couples where only one person was positive.

The couples were then followed up for 37 months. At the same time, they monitored a group of women who got pregnant without any help from a fertility clinic.

They found:

--- One quarter of the infertile women had antibodies

--- One fifth of the infertile men had antibodies

--- 15% of the women who had no fertility treatment and got pregnant had antibodies

--- 7% of infertile men and women with antibodies also carried chlamydia DNA (active infection)

--- Women with antibodies had tubal factor infertility (TFI), this affects the fallopian tubes

--- Men with antibodies did not necessarily mean their partners had TFI

Professor Jan Olofsson, team leader said "Importantly, as well as the expected finding of antibodies among the female partners we found that antibodies in the male partner was significantly inversely correlated to the overall pregnancy rate. Our findings show that it is not only women that need to be concerned about contracting chlamydia. Men need to be aware that this is potentially serious for them as well. As there was no connection between antibodies in the men and TFI in their partners there may be alternative or additional mechanisms involved that are reducing fertility."

Professor Olofsson said, when asked about male fertility and chlamydia, said "It is possible that decreased sperm motility or concurrent or undetected infection may play a role."

The researchers also found that although chlamydia affects fertility, it does not affect the pregnancy when the woman with antibodies does eventually get pregnant (either naturally or with IVF).

Both men and women who attend fertility clinics should be screened for chlamydia, say the researchers.

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