By Jackie

Most women who experience secondary infertility would never consider the possibility that a sexually transmitted disease (STD) was the culprit. For many women, the suggestion is offensive because they have remained happily wed through their first pregnancy and while trying to conceive a second time. Other women who are with different partners are still reluctant to consider an STD because of the stigma associated with it.

But a new study released by Fertility and Sterility (Jan 2009) shows that women who experience secondary infertility cannot readily rule-out the possibility of an STD.  The study examined women who experienced secondary infertility and found that 55% of the participants tested positive for Chlamydia. Chlamydia is a particularly difficult STD to catch because it causes no visible or sensible side-effects. It can silently ravage a woman’s fertility by causing chronic inflammation and adhesions to form.

70% of the women who tested positive for the infection had an inactive infection – meaning it could have been present before the woman’s first pregnancy and went undetected. An inactive infection does not mean that a woman’s fertility is safe. The study found that Chlamydia (whether active or inactive) was the cause of secondary infertility in 72.7% of the women. Chlamydia caused total tubal occlusion (both fallopian tubes blocked) in 63.6% of the women with the infection (both active and inactive).

The study concluded that screening for Chlamydia is strongly recommended for women experiencing secondary infertility. Although social taboos around STD may make you feel embarrassed about being tested, it is well worth looking past this to find the cause and proper treatment of female infertility.

By Jackie

Chlamydia, often know as the “silent” STD, can cause extensive scarring and adhesions within the female reproductive tract. Because Chlamydia produces relatively few noticeable symptoms, women are often unaware they have it until they struggle with infertility and undergo extensive diagnostic testing. Although doctors can cure Chlamydia with pharmaceuticals, the adhesions and scar tissue caused by the disease will remain in the body.

The only option conventional medicine can offer women with adhesions is laparoscopic surgery. However, surgery to open blocked fallopian tubes is not always successful. Furthermore, laparoscopic surgery itself can cause more adhesions and scar tissue to form.

Nicole, one of our former patients, struggled with just this problem. When Nicole and her husband couldn’t become pregnant after three years, they sought the help of a reproductive endocrinologist (RE). Her RE performed a series of tests. Nicole told us, “That when I found out I had an undetected STD, Chlamydia. It had caused scar tissue to form around and block my fallopian tubes.”

Her specialist recommended surgery to open the tubes or IVF. Nicole sought a second opinion with another RE who suspected she had fibroids in her uterus in addition to blocked tubes. He suggested she undergo a myomectomy to remove the fibroids and he would also try to open her blocked fallopian tubes at the same time. He successfully removed the fibroids, but he couldn’t open her tubes.

Nicole then tried three IVFs, all of which were unsuccessful or ended in miscarriage. Afterward, she heard about our clinic on an infertility chat site and decided to attend. After treatment, her HSG test showed her fallopian tubes were clear!

However, Nicole’s doctor encouraged her to undergo IVF. Nicole, concerned about her biological clock, she chose to undergo the procedure and told us, “At nine weeks, I discovered I had twins, but one passed away early in the pregnancy.” Nicole later gave birth to her baby girl, Joy.

Everyone was later surprised when Nicole became unexpectedly pregnant after the birth of Joy. Nicole exclaimed, “We didn’t try anything and we got pregnant!” Nicole’s tubes had indeed opened and she later gave birth to a little boy.

If you would like to read more about treatment for blocked fallopian tubes, please visit our blocked tubes page. Nicole’s story, along with the stories of 75 former patients, will be showcased in our upcoming book, Miracle Moms, Better Sex, Less Pain.