As the most commonly reported sexual transmitted disease (STD)in the world, chlamydia contribute to infertility in both man and woman.

How does chlamydia affect women's fertility?

Chlamydia as a common sexual transmitted disease, affects approximately 4 million women annually world-wide. If left untreated, the infection can lie dormant for several months before travelling through the cervix to infect the fallopian tubes, leading to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). This can cause symptoms such as low abdominal pain, fever and painful sex. However, many women have a less acute inflammation that produces few if any symptoms. If untreated, PID can lead to blockage of the fallopian tubes and subsequent infertility.

Chlamydia is now the commonest cause of PID, which is thought to affect more than 165,000 women a year. It is estimated that 25% of all cases of infertility are due to chlamydia infection.

Approximately 10% of all women who contract chlamydia will become infertile as a result of PID. This equates to 30,000 women a year becoming infertile.

The peak age for chlamydia infection in women is between 16 and 19 years.

How does chlamydia affect men's fertility?

In men, chlamydial infections cause about 40 percent of the cases of nongonococcal urethritis (NGU), an inflammation of the urinary tract. The most common symptom of NGU is a discharge of mucus or pus from the penis. Some men also notice pain when urinating. Pain or swelling in the scrotal area may be signs of epididymitis, an inflammation of a part of the male reproductive system located near the testicles. Up to 50 percent of men have no symptoms.

If the bacterial infection spreads to the epididymis then this could lead to the man becoming sterile. The epididymis is the tube where the sperm flows from the testicles. Fertility problem may occur on infected men who have developed prostatitis or orchitis as well.

Luckily, complications and damage caused by chlamydia infection is reversible, several kinds of herbal formulas are available for treating this condition.