EVALUATION OF CHLAMYDIA IN INFERTILE COUPLES

Abstract

Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection, having deleterious effect on fertility in both men and women. The aim of this study is to assess the couple for chlamydia infection. Sixty infertile couples, without any assessment or treatment for infertility earlier were taken up for study. Endo cervical swab of the wife and a sperm swab from the semen sample given for analysis by the husband were analysed by NAAT PCR technique. 22 couples are chlamydia positive; in 21 the wife, in 13 the husband were positive; One man was positive for chlamydia, his wife being negative; Eight women were positive, but their husbands were negative for chlamydia.

Sperm swab from the semen collected for semen analysis is an easy, practical way of testing the man for chlamydia. When more than one third of the couples are positive for chlamydia, it is logical that, screening for chlamydia be included in the infertility assessment protocol.

Keywords: Chlamydia; Infertility; NAAT; Semen swab