In this episode we’re back with Dr. Malu Consultant in Sexual Health and Clinical Director of Clarewell Clinics based in Birmingham and Leicester, talking more about STIs and fertility.
Have you been to an STI test? How comfortable would you feel about going to an STI clinic? Does this fill you with dread?
Dr. Malu explains exactly what a hydrosalpinx is. It’s something you may have heard about or may have had diagnosed on a scan, but the name doesn’t exactly explain what’s in the tin! Hydrosalpinx refers to a fallopian tube that is blocked with ‘watery’ fluid and is typically caused by infection.
Erectile Dysfunction can have a huge impact on fertility, especially when it comes to the stress of TTC and performance anxiety. Kate asks how frequently is ED due to psychological issues and how much is in relation to physical aspects? Dr. Malu tells us that in young men, ED is predominantly due to psychological issues and also lifestyle such as alcohol intake, etc, but in older men, it may be a mixture of both the physical and psychological aspects.
Over the years with all the advances in drug treatments for HIV, men and women can now live perfectly normal lives with HIV, but what are the implications for TTC with an HIV diagnosis? Dr. Malu explains how well HIV can now be managed and that if one partner is being treated effectively and the virus is undetectable then the risks of passing on HIV to a partner are virtually zero. Similarly, if a woman becomes pregnant the risks of passing the infection to the baby are virtual zero. However, if an individual is not diagnosed and does not use a condom, then the risks of passing the infection to a partner are high, and passing the infection to the baby is 30-50%.
As a final note, Dr. Malu encourages all men and women who are trying to conceive to seek advice about STIs. Get empowered and take a test. You can take a look here for more information on the different STIs we’ve chatted about.
For even more online support with your fertility and exclusive content, become a Patreon today for just £11 a month, you’ll get access to more Q&As with Kate and me more regularly as well as Q&As with our expert guests.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
