Women with Pulmonary Tuberculosis at a Risk of Infertility

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious bacterial infection that involves the lungs, but may spread to other organs. Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is caused by the bacteriaMycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) . You can get TB by breathing in air droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person. Except for its contagiosity, what female TB patients should also aware is that they are also at a risk of infertility.

As M. Tuberculosis can infect women's genital system by blood circulation or the lymphatic system, it causes genital tuberculosis. Genital tuberculosis is often found on women at their childbearing age, and the most common type is tubal tuberculosis. Among all causes of infertility, genital tuberculosis is one of the common factors.

What are the symptoms of genital/tubal tuberculosis?
The most common sign of genial tuberculosis is infertility. Before infertility is found, they may have a history of pulmonary tuberculosis or enterophthisis. Other possible symptoms involves: lower abdominal pain, irregular menses, fever, slimming down, feeling weak, and excessive vaginal discharge.

How does TB causes genital/tubal tuberculosis and result in infertility?
Genital tuberculosis often occur on women between 20 and 40 years old. Because this is the most exuberant period of a woman's life, active metabolism make it more possible for M. Tuberculosis to travel around the body with blood circulation. Once TB is got, M. Tuberculosis can infect the genital system after a year or so. Mucosa of fallopian tubes is always the next place to be infected by M. Tuberculosis. Then adhesions, blockage and hydrops of fallopian tube can occur. As normal function of the tubes is affected, infertility occurs.

Will TB always cause infertility in women?
Even TB is a causing factor of infertility, but this is not certain. TB doesn't always cause infertility. As long as TB is treated or controlled rapidly, infertility never recurs. Thus once TB is diagnosed, prompt and appropriate treatment is very important and necessary.