01 April 2002
I have just been diagnosed as having chlamydia, the girl who I caught it off did not know she had it and may well have had it for just under 3 years!! I know that chlamydia can lead to infertility amongst other things but I'm worried and won't to know a rough timespan in which it could cause infertility.
Austin Powers, Yorkshire

Response
This is a difficult question. First of all, please make sure that you have followed all the instructions about treatment and make sure that you are not exposed to re-infection whilst being treated.

Reading round the subject does not give very exact answers, but the consensus seems to be that male infertility following chlamydial infection is probably less common than female infertility. I cannot find any information on timespan; it is probably difficult to determine, as it is impossible to know exactly when someone became infected. Do read our article on Chlamydia for more information. See the Health Protection Agency for some information from which may be useful for you.