Chlamydia trachomatis in subfertile couples undergoing an in vitro fertilization program: a prospective study.

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Infertility Research

Background:

• Chlamydia trachomatis is a common sexually transmitted infection that can lead to serious reproductive health consequences.
• Subfertility affects a significant portion of couples seeking assisted reproductive technologies like in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in subfertile couples undergoing IVF.
• To investigate the association between Chlamydia trachomatis infection markers and male infertility.
• To evaluate the impact of Chlamydia trachomatis infection on pregnancy rates following IVF.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 277 subfertile couples undergoing IVF at Pellegrin Hospital were screened.
• Chlamydia trachomatis infection was assessed using direct (PCR) and serological methods.
• Data on semen characteristics and IVF pregnancy rates were collected and analyzed.

Main Results:

• The prevalence of active C. trachomatis infection was low (1.2% in men, 2.7% in women).
• When considering all markers (past or current infection), 17.3% of men and 20.4% of women had positive results.
• No significant association was found between C. trachomatis markers and semen quality or IVF pregnancy rates (23.1% vs. 20.2%).

Conclusions:

• Past or current Chlamydia trachomatis infection is not associated with altered semen characteristics in subfertile men.
• Chlamydia trachomatis infection status does not appear to affect pregnancy outcomes in couples undergoing IVF.
• These findings suggest that routine screening for C. trachomatis may not be necessary for all subfertile couples undergoing IVF.