09-05-2025
The little-known sexually transmitted disease that can cause INFERTILITY - and it's on the rise in Australia
Aussie researchers are testing a new treatment for a little-known and asymptomatic STD that has been linked with unexplained infertility.
More than 200 couples will take part in the study by the University of Western Australia, with a focus on the STD bacteria, genital mycoplasmas.
The bacteria have been identified as a factor in both unexplained infertility and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
The couples, where either the woman or man tested positive for the STD, will receive treatment as part of the study.
Both partners will be given antibiotics, with the female partner also given vaginal probiotics developed by Aussie health start-up Amelia Bio.
The conception rate of the couples will then be documented in the three months after treatment and compared with that of couples who tested negative for genital mycoplasmas.
Matthew Payne, a principal research fellow from the university's obstetrics and gynaecology department, said the treatment was unique because it treated each couple as a single unit.
'We know that many genital bacteria are trafficked back and forth between partners and as such a single partner treatment strategy, as is commonplace in many other clinical scenarios, is unlikely to succeed in the long term,' Mr Payne said.
Traditionally, vaginal microbiome treatment has been focused entirely on the woman, often meaning harmful STDs or bacterial infections are passed back and forward between the couple.
Amelia Bio director Catherine Slogrove said she was pleased to see the vaginal microbiome become more of a focus in fertility research.
'There's so much we don't have answers for when it comes to the microbiome and infertility,' Ms Slogrove said.
'We know the emotional impact of unexplained infertility for couples who want children is often heart-breaking and severe.
'We are delighted to support clinical research that has the potential to be life-changing for so many couples, and it's incredible that an Australian institution, is leading the charge globally.'
Previously, only two clinical trials have explored the treatment of genital mycoplasmas in male partners.
Both of them demonstrated improvements in sperm parameters and a notable increase in successful pregnancies following treatment.
Genital mycoplasmas are a group of bacteria transmitted through sexual contact that may cause infection but have no symptoms, especially in women.
They are increasingly common and more research is needed to understand how they affect fertility.
