[Rebekah]

I have just found out i have Chlamydia and i have only had unprotected sex once around 4 years ago. With this in mind is there a large chance i will already be infertile?have just found out i have Chlamydia and i have only had unprotected sex once around 4 years ago. With this in mind is there a large chance i will already be infertile? I have also recently had a ultrasound scan due to irregular bleeding(how i found out about the disease). Would this have shown if i have pid?

[Kedi]

disease. In most women who have it, chlamydia travels no further than the cervix (neck of the womb at the top if the vagina). But in about 1 in 10, it travels further upwards through the uterus (womb) into the Fallopian tubes. In the Fallopian tubes it can cause inflammation known as ‘pelvic inflammatory disease’ or PID. Other types of bacteria may then move in making the inflammation worse. PID may be painful, but can occur without any pain at all. If the infection is treated at this stage, the tube may recover completely, or some scarring and other damage may remain.Infertility. The Fallopian tube is where the sperm meets the egg, and where fertilization occurs. So if a woman’s tubes have been damaged by PID in the past, the egg and sperm will not be able to travel along it easily, and she may not be able to conceive. If she does conceive, there is a possibility that the fertilized egg could get stuck in the tube, and the baby would start to develop in the tube instead of in the uterus. This is called ‘ectopic pregnancy’ and is a bad situation, because the developing baby almost always dies in early pregnancy, and there will be dangerous internal bleeding.However, while it is true that chlamydia can cause infertility, this happens in only a small number of women who have it. The risk is not precisely known, but a Swedish study in the early 1990s suggests the following figures.If 100 women get a chlamydia infection, 20 will develop PID.Of these 20 who develop PID, 2 will have difficulty conceiving and 1 will have an ectopic pregnancy.The more times a woman has PID, the greater the damage to the tubes and the greater the chance of later problems. So if those 20 women had another attack of PID, 4 would become infertile and 2 would have ectopic pregnancies.If those same 20 women had three or more attacks of PID, 8 or 9 would become infertile and 4 would have ectopic pregnancies.I'd say talk to your gp with your concerns,it really is a serious matter as i thought i had it when i had an ectopic pregnancy i believed it must be previous Chlamydia but turns out i have never had it in my life.You really need to speak to a doctor.

[Princess]

Well that is a long time but often the infertility is a result of Pelvic Inflammatory Disorder, so if you didnt have that then there's a good chance all is well.When you finish the antibiotics, they'll ask you back for another test. Ask them if there is any visible damage, because sometimes they can see problems just by looking at your cervix. If they can't put your mind at ease and you're very worried, you may want to get some tests. I don't think the NHS will offer them unless you are already trying to conceive, so you may need to pay for these but for peace of mind it would be worth it.Best of luck.

[Dr Frank]

Ultrasound of this type would not show PID. Fallopian tubes would need semi-invasive dye test to check if they were OK. Clamydia only gives a relative risk of infertility and you may well be fine. It depends how far you want to be investigated.