STDs and infertility

Using condoms and getting a yearly gynecological exam can play a vital role in helping you conceive when the time is right.

Chlamydia and gonorrhea are described as the two most preventable causes of infertility. Unfortunately, these sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) present no symptoms in most women, and therefore may remain untreated for a long period of time. This is why getting annual screenings, which consists of a simple urine test, is of the utmost importance. Both gonorrhea and chlamydia can be treated with oral antibiotics. However, by delaying treatment a person runs the risk of becoming infertile.

Delayed treatment can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Symptoms of PID include lower abdominal and pelvic pain, pain during urination and sex, vaginal discharge, vaginal bleeding, fever, chills and a foul odor. Pelvic inflammatory disease is essentially an infection on a woman's reproductive organs. In its progressed state, scar tissue damages the fallopian tubes, uterus and ovaries. This can cause infertility or lead to a potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy.