subject: The Relationship between STDs and Infertility [print this page] The Relationship between STDs and Infertility
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Initiatives have been taken by leading public health schools to educate people about health issues which also include sexually transmitted diseases. One of the institutions that took action to give light about the relationship of sexually transmitted diseases and infertility are the health institutes of Harvard along with its departments of epidemiology, gynecology and obstetrics.
Some young and older people as well do not understand the difference and relationship between sexually transmitted diseases and infertility. Researchers who have studied the relationship of the two found a number of points of distinction. Their study dealt with tracking the history of STDs. They also gathered respondents and observed their behavior. The respondents are comprised of 283 women who were nulliparous. The definition of the term nulliparous is any woman who has never given birth. A woman is still considered nulliparous if she has given birth to a baby in the past but is stillborn. These particular group of women were found to show occlusion and tubal adhesions which led to infertility.
The threats linked with tubal infertility and STDs were computed using multiple logistics. The ratio from the computation was unusual as it pointed out that women who were suffering from gonorrhea, a common STD, have a higher chance of becoming infertile. But the risk is highest with individuals who are suffering from trichomoniasis. This disease is caused by a unicellular protozoan, Trichomonas vaginalis. This microorganism causes vaginitis by producing stress on the vaginal walls and consuming cells that have been damaged. This disease is exclusively found in women because it affects the female vagina.
The study has observed a strong connection between the mentioned STDs and infertility. Sexually transmitted diseases can have an effect on infertility in several ways:
Pregnancy wastage
This is an occurrence between the 20th week of gestation and the 28th day of life wherein a loss of product of gestation happens voluntarily or involuntarily during this period.
Neonatal death
This happens when a fetus dies within the first few days or first 28 days of its life.
Male and Female Reproductive Ducts Obstruction
If there is a blockage in the fallopian tubes of women and in the epididymis in men, it could greatly affect the passage of sperms and eggs, which makes it difficult to get pregnant.
Infertility, an extreme kind of STD can be well prevented if there are programs which can prevent sexually transmitted diseases.
