If untreated, STIs (sexually transmitted infections) can cause infertility in women.
Chlamydia and gonorrhea are two of the main causes of preventable infertility. According to the CDC, there are at least 24,000 cases of infertility caused by STIs each year.
How does an STI cause infertility?
The symptoms of chlamydia and gonorrhea are minor and often mistaken as a urinary tract infection (UTI), if they’re noticed at all.
STI symptoms include:
- bleeding between periods
- increase in vaginal discharge
- pain when urinating
An untreated STI can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID is an infection of a woman’s reproductive organs. PID can scar the the fallopian tubes and other reproductive organs causing infertility.
The CDC recommends that all sexually active women under the age of 25 be screened for chlamydia and gonorrhea, as well as older women who have multiple sexual partners.
For more information on STI’s, read Silent STIs: Chlamydia and Gonorrhea.