Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Tubal Infertility

Abstract

To evaluate the association of genital herpes, genital warts, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis with the occurrence of subsequent tubal infertility, 321 women who had tubal infertility were interviewed concerning their history of these sexually transmitted diseases (STD). The responses were compared to those of women who conceived children during the period the infertile women began trying to become pregnant. By a multivariate analysis, the comparisons were controlled for several confounding variables (e.g., use of an intrauterine device, cigarette smoking, number of prior pregnancies, number of sexual partners, and a history of the other STD). The risk of tubal infertility in women who reported at least one episode of gonorrhea after their last pregnancy, relative to that among other women, was 2.8 (95% confidence interval = 1.3-5.7). The relative risk of tubal infertility was also higher among women who reported a history of trichomoniasis (relative risk = 1.4; 95% confidence interval = 10.-2.5) or genital warts (relative risk = 1.9; 95% confidence interval = 1.0-3.6).