Genital Tuberculosis and its Impact on Male and Female Infertility

Abstract

Genital tuberculosis (TB) is an under diagnosed presentation of TB which has a profound effect on reproduction, both in males and females. It is a complex chronic infection presenting as latent or active. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is known to survive inside the human body for years and can covert to its active form whenever host resistance is lowered. In its active state it can cause variable anatomic damage to the reproductive tract depending upon the virulence of the organism and the resistance of the host. The physiological impact and an altered immune response that accompanies it is slowly being recognized. Early detection of the disease can prevent irreversible damage to the reproductive system. However, the paucibacillary nature of the disease poses a major hurdle in early diagnosis. The management of genital TB, therefore, aims to recognize the anatomical, physiological, and immunological insult of the disease in its early or latent stage in order to restore fertility. Medical management with standard anti-TB drugs may not be enough to restore normalcy and may have to be supplemented by surgical correction or assisted reproduction in order to treat infertility.