Micro-organisms and Infertility
Bacteria may be the Cause of Your Fertility Problems
15% of cases of male factor infertility are caused by bacteria, parasites or viruses and vaginal infections can also trigger female infertility.
A study in the European Journal Of Obstetrics And Gynaecology And Reproductive Biology has found that the humble genito-urinary infection accounts for 15% of all male factor infertility cases. This is because infections can affect the testicles, the epididymis (a reservoir where the sperm is collected after it leaves the testicles), and even the production of male sex hormones. This means that if you or your partner have been diagnosed with a low sperm count, this might have originated from a urinary tract infection.The sperm themselves can also be affected since micro-organisms can affect their development, maturation and motility (how they swim).
Different Types of Urinary Infection
One of the common types of urinary infection is from Escherichia Coli (E-coli). The e-coli bug grows in the intestines of humans and mammals and is usually good for you. They are part of the immune system. As well as being responsible for the production of a type of vitamin K, which helps with the coagulation of blood, the e-coli bacteria prevent pathogenic infections by eating the bad bacteria in the gut.Sometimes, however, too many e-coli multiply and they can spill out of the intestinal tract and end up clinging to the urethra (the tube which carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body) and infect the bladder itself. This can, in some cases, lead to damage of the reproductive system. Rarely, it can cause epididymo-orchitis, which is an inflammation of the epididymis and testes.
Two other infections associated with infertility are Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Both of these are sexually transmitted infections. In men, Chlamydia usually has no symptoms so often a man will not even realise he has it until he starts to experience infertility problems. A few men will get a discharge from the penis.
Women with this infection can have abdominal pain, an unusual vaginal discharge or cystitis.
Gonorrhea is one of the most common sexually transmitted infectious diseases and as many as 700,000 people in the US get gonorrhea every year. Sometimes it is transmitted from mother to baby during vaginal delivery, if the mother is affected.
Men usually have no symptoms, although infrequently they may have pain when urinating, swollen testicles and/or discharge from the penis.
Women sometimes mistake their symptoms for a bladder or vaginal infection and they may have bleeding in between periods. If a woman has gonorrhea, she can develop pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) which is a cause of infertility.
Female Infertility and Vaginal Infection
In addition to gonorrhea, chlamydia and e-coli, women can also have fertility problems resulting from bacterial vaginosis, a common vaginal infection. Up to one in ten women will have the infection at some point in their lives and it isn't sexually transmitted, but caused by an overload of normally friendly bacteria in the body. It causes heavier discharge with a noxious smell, although half of all sufferers won't notice any difference in their sexual health.The study in the European Journal Of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Reproductive Biology found that bacterial vaginosis was a causative factor in infertility:
"bacterial vaginosis should not be ignored, as causative agents can produce ascending infections of the female genital tract. The role of infections, particularly co-infections, as causes of the impairment of sperm quality, motility and function needs further investigation."
If got in pregnancy, bacterial vaginosis increases the risk of miscarriage, premature birth and post-birth infections of the womb.
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