Chlamydia Affects Male Fertility, Too

Back in the day, STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) were called VD (venereal diseases), and the two most recognizable varieties were syphilis and gonorrhea.

Then chlamydia came on the scene, becoming the most common of the now so-called STIs (sexually transmitted infections). Commonly thought of as a woman’s disease, chlamydia also affects men. A group of researchers from Canalejo University Hospital in La Coruna, Spain, have determined that men with chlamydia can experience fertility problems, too—specifically in DNA fragmentation. This means fewer—and possibly deformed—sperm.

If you and your partner are trying to have a baby, you both should be tested. Treated with antibiotics, the bacterial infection disappears, and four months later the rate of successful impregnation rises over sixfold.

Summer 2008

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