Chlamydia is an infectious disease that is sexually transmitted. The causative agents of infection are pathogenic intracellular microorganisms - chlamydia. Like any disease of a similar etiology, chlamydia initially affects the organs of the urinary and reproductive systems. This brings up a completely logical question: is it possible to get pregnant with chlamydia?

The question is very relevant, because chlamydia can provoke not only inflammation of the lining of the uterus and fallopian tubes, but also adhesions inside organs that are difficult to treat. It is these processes that lead to frequent ectopic pregnancies and are the main cause of infertility in women. But with a high probability, chlamydia can affect the external genitalia and the outlet channel of the urethra. So is it possible to get pregnant with chlamydia? If the inflammatory processes have not affected the fallopian tubes, then this is quite possible.

When infected, a woman should ask herself not how to get pregnant with chlamydia, but whether she should try at all or whether it would be better to undergo appropriate treatment first. Gynecologists characterize such a pregnancy as unsuccessful and problematic. Since the disease does not bode well for either the child or the expectant mother. In the early stages, this infection often leads to miscarriages.

Treatment can be prescribed no earlier than 10-12 weeks, if the disease has reached the acute stage. And if the infection is chronic, but you still manage to conceive, then antibiotic therapy is prescribed only from the 30th week. Treatment is based on macrolide-type drugs, which means that it does not bode well for the newborn. This means that you can get pregnant if you have chlamydia, but it’s still better not to risk the health of your unborn baby.

Infection can cause acute placental insufficiency, and as a result, the child will no longer receive the necessary amount of nutrition and oxygen in utero. What can cause serious defects in mental and physiological development. Fetal pathologies that arise as a result of infection are difficult to correct in the postnatal period. You can get pregnant with chlamydia, but there is a high probability that the fetus will be infected in utero, or the child will get the disease while passing through the birth canal.

Therefore, such an infection is a very big risk. In gynecological practice, a woman is supposed to be prescribed the appropriate tests immediately upon registration and issuance of an exchange card. And since the disease is most often completely asymptomatic, the woman finds out about its presence too late. It is during this period that this disease is most often diagnosed.

What is the direct danger of this infection? Before pregnancy, the disease can become the root cause of vulvo-vaginitis, endocervicitis and infectious inflammation of the appendages. These pathological processes significantly weaken a woman’s immunity and have a very negative impact on her ability to bear children.

To the question - is it possible to get pregnant with chlamydia? There is only one competent answer, yes, perhaps. But it’s still better not to. Since the particular danger of this disease lies in the likelihood of spontaneous abortion, miscarriage, and premature labor. And a baby infected during childbirth will certainly face consequences such as conjunctivitis, otitis media, pneumonia and bronchitis. Therefore, chlamydia is best treated before planned conception. And in a situation where conception has already occurred, the woman must undergo regular diagnostic tests and promptly undergo therapy prescribed by the doctor.

Since the pathogen is characterized by specific intracellular reproduction, treatment with antibiotic drugs is not always effective and can completely rid a woman of the infection. And if the treatment was prescribed incorrectly or untimely, then you can often observe the transition of the disease to a prosthetic form, which means that the pathogen has not only become resistant to treatment, but has also hidden in the body for a long time. This form of the disease is the most dangerous and in 50% of cases leads to an unfavorable pregnancy outcome. Women diagnosed with this type of disease are subject to mandatory medical examination and regular medical supervision.

A disease caused by protozoan organisms of the genus Chlamydia is called chlamydia and is classified as a sexually transmitted disease. And, if such a disease becomes an extremely unpleasant problem for ordinary people, then for expectant mothers and girls planning a pregnancy, it is truly dangerous, including for the fetus.

What is the risk for women, is it possible to get pregnant with chlamydia and what needs to be done for this?

Sexually transmitted diseases, including chlamydia, are transmitted only through sexual vaginal or anal contact. However, under certain circumstances, protozoa can enter the body through saliva and other physiological fluids from a person suffering from chlamydial pneumonia.

IMPORTANT! You cannot “earn” this disease by visiting a public pool, bathhouse or beach. It is also not possible to become infected through towels, bedding, clothing and other household items, including the toilet seat.

How dangerous is chlamydia for an expectant mother?

The result of chlamydial infection can be problems such as:

• adhesions;
• inflammatory processes in the uterus and fallopian tubes;
• damage to the urethra and bladder;
• infections of the external genitalia.

It is in connection with these pathologies that the question arises: is it possible to become pregnant with chlamydia, since all diseases in this area can have a direct impact on the conception and fetus.

Long-term chlamydia can jeopardize the reproductive function of women in general, since damage to the fallopian tubes and uterus inevitably leads to serious problems. In addition, chlamydia can provoke vaginitis, endocervicitis, inflammation of the appendages and other equally dangerous pathologies.

IMPORTANT! Another danger of this disease is that there is a high risk of ectopic pregnancy after chlamydia or during an infection. Moreover, primary infection, which occurs after conception, is much more dangerous than the chronic course of the disease.

The main question that worries women during planning is “Is it possible to get pregnant with chlamydia?” But there is no one-size-fits-all answer, since successful conception depends on the state of the immune system, and on the lifestyle of the expectant mother, as well as on the degree of the disease and the characteristics of its course.

For example, with endometriosis, which affects the inner and outer lining of the uterus, this is very difficult, since the embryo cannot attach to the inflamed mucous tissue. And if chlamydia has not affected the uterus and fallopian tubes, then pregnancy is quite likely. However, still It’s better to get rid of the infection first, and only then start conceiving, since infection can cause:

• severe toxicosis;
• premature birth;
• miscarriage;
• secondary infertility;
• reactive arthritis;
• chlamydial proctitis (inflammatory disease of the anus);
• chronic pharyngitis and laryngitis with constant hoarseness;
• chlamydial conjunctivitis;
• severe postpartum endometritis.

In addition, chlamydia during pregnancy is fraught with infectious damage to the ovaries with subsequent formation of cystic formations.

Characteristic symptoms and treatment methods.

Is it possible to become infected with chlamydia at home? Find out the articles.

How is it dangerous for the unborn child?

The main thing that a woman who decides to take a risk should understand is that with chlamydia you can get pregnant, carry and give birth to a child, but no one can guarantee that the newborn will be completely healthy and the disease will not affect his life in any way in the future. That's why, when choosing to conceive against the background of chlamydial infection, it is highly advisable to be aware of the possible consequences.

What can chlamydia mean for a baby:

• hypoxia (this is a condition in which the placental blood supply is disrupted, insufficiency develops, and the child does not receive the required amount of oxygen and nutrients);
• the formation of physical defects that cannot always be noticed during an ultrasound examination;
• polyhydramnios;
• development of mental abnormalities that may appear several years later;
• infection, which can cause fetal death.

ATTENTION! Even if everything went well, the child was born without pathologies or abnormalities, he will already be a carrier of these protozoa. In this case, they talk about congenital chlamydia, which is quite difficult to get rid of.

But the danger of infection for the unborn baby is not limited to this. During the process of passing through the mother's birth canal, the child can become infected with chlamydia, which will result in conjunctivitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis or pneumonia. Since these diseases are caused by protozoa, they cannot always be diagnosed, and atypical cases are much more difficult to cure.

Conception after chlamydia

Diagnosing chlamydia is quite difficult, since in most cases the course of the disease is latent, that is, not accompanied by any visible signs. But it is even more difficult to get rid of chlamydia. Women with this disease face long-term rehabilitation therapy, which cannot guarantee subsequent successful pregnancies.

However, not everything is so bad - early or late it is possible to get pregnant after chlamydia, if there are no direct contraindications and the functions of the woman’s reproductive system are not impaired.

The most important condition for a healthy and fulfilling pregnancy is simultaneous treatment of chlamydia in both partners. Otherwise, the probability of re-infection of the expectant mother tends to 100%.

When and how long after treatment for chlamydia can you become pregnant? Again, there is no single answer, since successful therapy depends on correctly selected medications and restorative courses, the state of the immune system and the presence of other concomitant diseases.

On average, this period takes at least 2 months from the start of treatment. However, it is highly recommended not to rush into conception and wait at least another 3-4 weeks. Specific dates can only be determined by the attending physician, who monitors the woman throughout the entire therapy.

We can talk about successful treatment and the possibility of further pregnancy planning after chlamydial infection based on tests. To identify this disease, as well as to confirm the effectiveness of therapy, the highly accurate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method is predominantly used.

Smears and scrapings can be false negative due to the fact that chlamydia lives in colonies in certain areas of mucous tissue. It is quite possible that the sample is taken from an area free of protozoa.

Prevention

The main point to which all preventive measures to prevent chlamydia come down is adherence to the rules of safe sex using barrier contraception methods.

During pregnancy, it is highly advisable to exclude all casual sexual contacts and regularly undergo the necessary examinations, take tests and register with the antenatal clinic.

In contact with

Pregnancy after chlamydia is quite a risky activity, especially if there is no confidence that the disease has completely subsided. This disease is one of the STDs; inaction with it is fraught with a large number of complications that will affect all systems of the body. The danger of chlamydia often lies in its asymptomatic course, which, in turn, allows you to miss precious time in the initial stage, when treatment will be especially successful.

Conceiving a child after recovery from this venereal diagnosis is possible, but this will not happen the first time. This is due to the consequences of the disease, which entail the development of reproductive problems, for example, infertility or obstruction of the fallopian tubes. In addition, a common consequence of chlamydia can be an ectopic pregnancy, which is dangerous to a woman’s health and requires surgical removal.

Another scenario for the development of pregnancy after recovery from chlamydia is constant inflammation of the lining of the uterus, both external and internal. The endometrium suffers greatly from such phenomena, as a result, the ability to bear a child is significantly reduced. In addition, advanced endometriosis itself negatively affects the onset of pregnancy, since the fertilized egg does not have the opportunity to attach to the walls of the uterus.

Since chlamydia is treated only with the help of aggressive antibiotics that can kill not only pathogenic but also beneficial microbes, the period of therapy itself is truly stressful for the body.

In order for conception to succeed, it is important to first undergo a rehabilitation course, which will allow you to put all the body systems in order, as well as restore lost resources. Stabilizing drugs include not only vitamin complexes, but also pribiotics.

Provided that the woman managed to completely get rid of the disease and no complications were identified in the body, pregnancy should occur without much hassle. However, it is important to ensure that there are no contraindications through laboratory tests, otherwise the gestation period may be too difficult.

Possible complications

Before wondering whether it is possible to get pregnant after chlamydia, it is important to know what consequences this disease can leave behind in the body.

The most common diagnoses after a sexually transmitted disease are the following:

• Cervical erosion. The most harmless consequence, which, nevertheless, will directly interfere with pregnancy and gestation, especially if we are talking about the first conception in a woman’s life.
• Inflammation of the uterine tubes, called salpingitis. As a result of this process, adhesions are formed on the surface of the organs, sometimes requiring surgical intervention. Pregnancy with such inflammation is undesirable, since the ability to bear a child is sharply reduced.
• Inflammation of the ovaries, called oophoritis. This leads to disruption of the menstrual cycle and the possibility of the formation of cysts on the surface of paired organs. Conceiving with such an illness is almost impossible, especially when it comes to re-conception.
• Cervical insufficiency, which in itself does not threaten a woman’s health, but it is not possible to bear a child with it.
• Inflammation of the rectal canal, called chlamydial proctitis. This happens due to pathogens entering the colon mucosa.
• Endometriosis.

In addition to diseases related to the purely reproductive system, inflammation of the throat, such as pharyngitis and laryngitis, which will become chronic over time, will be possible. Conjunctivitis can also be considered as a common complication of chlamydia.

What if the disease occurred during pregnancy?

Unfortunately, not every expectant mother plans her pregnancy carefully, having previously undergone all the necessary examinations. As a result, some sexually transmitted diseases can be detected when a woman is already in an interesting position. Of course, under no circumstances should the disease remain in the body during pregnancy, but treatment in such a situation requires certain conditions.

First of all, the doctor prescribes additional tests that will reveal the presence of other infections. Chlamydia often occurs in combination with other STDs, including HIV. Only obtaining a complete picture of the health status of a pregnant woman will allow the doctor to draw up a complete comprehensive treatment plan.

It is also important to diagnose a woman’s body for the presence of chronic pathologies of various organs. This is due to the fact that treatment will be carried out using various drugs that worsen the general state of health. If any body system is out of order, it can lead to complications.

Treatment of chlamydia during pregnancy should be carried out under the strict supervision of a doctor, since otherwise there is a risk of voluntarily stopping treatment ahead of time. Often women, noticing that all signs of the disease have subsided, stop taking medications without the knowledge of the doctor. However, such an action is very dangerous, since it will likely cause a relapse of chlamydia, because those microbes that survived the therapy become resistant to the drug taken.

Treatment of chlamydia for pregnant women must be carried out with special means, since conventional tetracycline antibiotics, which are often used to treat STDs, are prohibited.

The safest option would be antibacterial drugs belonging to the macrolide group. However, thoughtless taking of any medications during pregnancy in the absence of a competent treatment regimen drawn up by a doctor will lead to indelible consequences not only for the health of the child, but also for the expectant mother.

It is better to prevent any disease than to treat it, especially for STDs. The main prevention of chlamydia can be considered the adjustment of sexual behavior - the exclusion of promiscuous sex from life, as well as the use of barrier contraception.

If you are planning to conceive, it is important to take care of your health first. There is a special list of sexually transmitted diseases that includes chlamydia. Tests for it are taken in the gynecologist's office. In some cases, biomaterial is collected during pregnancy in order to exclude all pathologies of fetal development.

As a preventative measure, it is advisable to have your body examined for the presence of sexually transmitted infections regularly; this will allow you to detect the disease at an early stage, when its spread throughout the body is not critical and can be treated very quickly. Before conception, it is also important for a man to be tested for chlamydia, since the presence of an infection can lead to problems with conception, as well as pregnancy.

Thus, you can become pregnant after chlamydia if you are confident of a complete cure for the disease. It is also important to first undergo screening for other STDs, since chlamydia often occurs in combination with other sexually transmitted infections. Treatment of this type of sexually transmitted disease during pregnancy is also practiced, but it is advisable to get rid of it before conception.

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacterium chlamydia trachomatis. Both men and women are susceptible to this disease. In addition, the bacterium chlamydia trachomatis can also cause an eye infection. Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics. If this infection is not detected and treated promptly, it can have a detrimental effect on reproductive health.

What are the symptoms?

Quite often, especially in women, the disease is asymptomatic. 70% of sick women and 50% of men do not complain about anything when they are infected with chlamydia.
In addition, since the symptoms of chlamydia are not pronounced, they can easily be confused with manifestations of less serious diseases, such as thrush or cystitis. If symptoms appear, it occurs 1-3 weeks after infection. Symptoms may be present for a while or last only a few days.
Early symptoms of chlamydia in women may include the following:

• painful urination
• purulent vaginal discharge
• mild pain in the lower abdomen.

If the disease is not diagnosed early, symptoms such as:

• bleeding between periods
• bleeding after intercourse
• pain in the pelvic area
• infection of the uterus, leading to inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs and problems with conception.

Men with chlamydia experience the following symptoms:

• burning sensation when urinating
• discharge
• itching in the urethra (the channel through which urine and semen exit the penis).

In the absence of timely treatment, a progressive disease in men can cause:

• inflammation and pain in the testicles
• problems with conception caused by epididymitis (inflammation of the epididymis)

In rare cases, chlamydia causes conjunctivitis and arthritis in both men and women.

How does infection occur?

Chlamydia enters the body through sexual contact, and anyone who does not use a condom can become infected. You can also get this infection through unprotected anal or oral sex and through contact with the genitals of a sick person. Chlamydia is not transmitted through public toilet seats, towels, linen or bedding. It also cannot be obtained from a public sauna or swimming pool. A newborn can become infected from the mother while passing through the birth canal. He may develop an eye infection and, in rare cases, pneumonia. In both cases, the disease can be successfully treated with antibiotics.

How common is chlamydia?

According to some reports, chlamydia is the most common infection, and it has become especially active since the mid-1990s. There are suspicions that the true scale of the incidence is unknown to us, since many people are simply not examined due to the absence of alarming symptoms. According to compulsory medical insurance programs, as part of the registration of medical records and examinations in the antenatal clinic, simple tests are done to suspect chlamydia. A targeted examination for chlamydia can be done for a fee in specialized laboratories, and free of charge through compulsory medical insurance in a public clinic and hospital, to which you can be referred for the treatment of infertility or gynecological diseases. Most often, chlamydia occurs in young people under 25 years of age. Of course, the chances of becoming infected increase with the number of sexual partners, however, even one unprotected act is enough to get chlamydia. The immunity gained after a person has had chlamydia does not protect against re-infection with this infection. Those at risk are those who:

• got a new partner in the last three months
• had two or more partners within the last year.

In these cases, it is advisable to undergo an examination.

How is the diagnosis made?

• At the antenatal clinic, you can take a general smear from the vagina, cervix and external opening of the urethra. As a result, the presence or absence of an inflammatory disease is determined and it may be recommended to undergo testing for specific pathogens or begin treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics. The contents of the smear are simply examined under a microscope; chlamydia as such is not visible.
• Immunofluorescence reaction (RIF). The scraping material is stained with a special substance and examined under a microscope. The accuracy of the analysis is 70%, and it is carried out in special laboratories.
• An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) determines the presence of antibodies to chlamydia in the blood. The accuracy of the analysis is about 60%. However, in order to find out whether a person has chlamydia or not, this test is not done. It is used only for examinations of women with primary infertility.
• Polysize chain reaction (PCR). This method sometimes produces false positive results, but overall its accuracy is close to 100%.
• Culture is the most labor-intensive and time-consuming analysis, but it allows you to determine the presence of chlamydia and establish their sensitivity to antibiotics.

Sometimes you have to take several tests of different types.

How is the treatment carried out?

Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics. Typically, either a seven-day course of doxycycline or one dose of azithromycin is prescribed. In case of primary infection and timely consultation with a doctor, in most cases (95%) antibiotics can get rid of the infection. In order to avoid re-infection, both partners are treated at the same time and it is recommended to abstain from sexual intercourse (including oral and anal sex) until complete recovery.
If chlamydia is discovered during pregnancy or breastfeeding, treatment is usually carried out with erythromycin. Doxycycline is not recommended during pregnancy because it has a negative effect on the formation of teeth in the child. Antibiotics, which are approved for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, are not so strong, so experts always recommend repeat testing 5-6 weeks after treatment to make sure that the drugs have affected the infection.
Due to the fact that diagnosing chlamydia is difficult and the disease can be asymptomatic for a long time, it often leads to complications such as inflammation of the appendages in women and inflammation of the testicles in men. In rare cases, chlamydia causes Reiter's syndrome (more often in men than women), which results in conjunctivitis and arthritis.