STDs, Women and Infertility

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

Sexually transmitted diseases, namely, gonorrhea and chlamydia, may be associated with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and damage a woman's fallopian tubes. Your health care provider can detect PID with a Pap smear and blood testing for sexually transmitted diseases.

If you don't recall ever having PID, your doctor may be able to see scarring or blockage of the tubes during a surgical procedure called laparoscopy. Tiny cameras and instruments are inserted through small cuts in your abdomen to allow the doctor to view your reproductive organs.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis affects women during their reproductive years. It can cause pelvic pain and infertility. You may be at risk for developing it if you have a family history of the disease. With endometriosis, uterine lining tissue grows outside the uterus and may damage the ovaries and fallopian tubes. You may not know you have a mild form of this condition. Sometimes your doctor finds it during laparoscopy.