Q. I am trying to conceive but was treated for Chlamydia 3 years ago. Could serious damage have been done to my fallopian tubes preventing pregnancy? I was treated approximately one week after contracting the STD. If the cause of our infertility is not the Chlamydia then what could it be? I have asked my partner to do a sperm test however he is Balinese and does not believe that he has a problem and that we should leave things to “destiny”!
A. Chlamydia is one of the most common STD’s found in sexually active people, and unfortunately is one of the most difficult to diagnose locally. Blood tests for Chlamydia can cost upwards of Rp 500,000 so consequently people on lower incomes who may be suffering from the diseased are rarely tested or diagnosed correctly. Would you spend a months wage on a blood test? Most women who have Chlamydia detected incidentally during routine screening will not have any lasting problems. The women most likely to have future difficulties are those who have symptoms of the infection, such as painful sex, abnormal period bleeding, fever and discharge. But there will be some women who carry the infection for a longer period of time before they are diagnosed, who may suffer problems that become obvious down the track. Even a severe infection requiringhospitalization will lead to problems in only about one fifth of sufferers. It is unlikely that you would have problems from the episode you describe, but not impossible, and it will be worth confiding in your doctor about the previous infection. Depending on your age, it is not unusual to take several months or even years to fall pregnant, and problems with low sperm count or poor sperm movement are commoner than blockage of the tubes from Chlamydia, so it is much more sensible (and easier) to do a sperm count first. It is possible to check the tubes for blockage, but testing for this is often painful and expensive - do the easier things first! You will just have to work on your husband and try and convince him that sperm analysis really is the first and easiest step to take. Perhaps you could take him to a Balinese Doctor (obstetrician) who could explain things to him man to man, and Balinese to Balinese!
Q. My boyfriend and I have been together for seven years. We have a two-year-old daughter and have trying to conceive another child but are having no luck. Our daughter just happened! Doctors won’t help: because we are in our early twenties they say it’s stress problem, but I don’t think I’ve been happier. Can you tell the best time to conceive?
A.The best time for conception is in the three to four days prior to ovulation. Ovulation occurs around halfway during your cycle, so in a 28-day cycle (counting the first day of your period as day one), it’s around day 14. Don’t make the mistake of “over doing” it when you are trying to conceive. Burning the sheets every night and day trying to conceive will only lower the sperm count. Save your romantic encounters for your fertile days. Take a reality check on what you are doing at the moment. Stress does not necessarily have to be a bad thing. Positive events are also stressful on our bodies. Are you working hard? Working out excessively? Traveling? All this things can interfere with our ability to conceive. Take some time out to relax on a regular basis, and see what happens!
Q. Every time we visit my husbands’ family in Singaraja I am given a hard time about not yet being pregnant. My sister-in-law even tells me to stand on my head after intercourse to increase the chances of falling pregnant, and they won’t let me near a pineapple or ice! We have only been married for 18 months, and have been trying for baby for only 6 months. Am I really to be concerned about this or are they overreacting?
A. Ho hum, sounds like another serious case of culture clash to me. From your Balinese in-laws point of view there must be something terribly wrong if your belly does not start to swell within months of your wedding ceremony. You see the way it works here (in most cases anyway) is that you fall pregnant and then you get married. Quite a foreign idea to us “bules”, however it is a system that works for this culture as it guarantees a fertile relationship. Contraception is also a theory that is often poorly understood by those that are poorly educated, so the fact that you have managed to “put it off” until you actually want to get pregnant is a bit of a mystery. I can assure you that intricate inverted yoga positions will not increase your chances or conceiving as sperm are transported by self propelling themselves rather than by gravity. (Neither is jumping up & down after intercourse a reliable form of contraception!) I did once read an article that stated that eating well over 2 dozen under-ripe pineapples could cause infertility or abortion, so the odd slice or so will do you no harm. As for the ice? I guess if this were true the entire civilized world would be having trouble conceiving! Carrying on living a good healthy lifestyle, and if nothing happens in the next 12 months, go and see someone that knows what they are talking about.
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Kim Patra is a qualified Registered Nurse and Midwife that has been living and working in Bali for almost twenty years. She now runs her own private practice and medical referral service from her Kuta office. Kim is happy to discuss any health concerns with you and she may be contacted via e-mail at info@chcbali.com”.
