The Impact of Infections on Prostatitis, PID, and Infertility

Prostatitis and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) affect many people in the USA each year and are notoriously tricky to diagnose and treat.

For Prostatitis, doctors believe that over 90% of diagnosed cases are non-bacterial. However, this number might not be accurate, as it’s hard to detect the actual pathogens. Infections can become hidden and blocked by infected material and calcification in the glands, ducts, and passageways, making diagnosis tough. Sometimes, giving antibiotics can provide symptom relief, indicating the possible presence of an infection even if the initial diagnosis didn’t.

Treatments for confirmed or suspected infections often fail. In many First World countries, the go-to treatment is multiple courses of oral antibiotics. However, these antibiotics struggle to penetrate the male genitourinary system and may not be strong enough. This usually leads to repeated antibiotic courses, risking resistant pathogens in the short term and potential long-term damage to the immune system.

Many long-term Prostatitis sufferers turn to alternative remedies, like Chinese herbal treatments, though these usually offer only temporary relief at best.

Infectious genitourinary problems, like Prostatitis and PID, are especially troubling when passed between partners. Often, these infections can be asymptomatic in women and highly symptomatic in men, potentially causing infertility. Effective treatment is complicated unless both partners are treated simultaneously, as untreated partners can cause continual reinfection.

In fact, up to 50% of infertility cases stem from infections. Even if a successful pregnancy occurs, the fetus remains at significant risk if the infections are unresolved. It’s crucial to treat infections successfully for a safe pregnancy. Since oral antibiotics often fail, the couple may need local injections of more potent medications directly targeting the infected areas.

There are several top clinics worldwide that specialize in treating infertility caused by infection, and a few have very high success rates.