Does Pulmonary Tuberculosis affect fertility?

I am Sridevi, 32 yrs old and five years married. We have been trying to get pregnant for the past three years. Just to tell you a little about my health history - I had Pulmonary Tuberculosis at the age of 17 and suffered for 14 months, during which there was no menstrual cycle. However it returned to normal after I was treated for Tuberculosis. Today, my periods are very regular. After our first year of marriage we tried naturally, after failing in the second year I went for assisted fertility treatment... for four months with siphene and regular ultrasound but was of no use. Then I had a hysteroscopic laparoscopy, and found that my right tube is blocked which was successfully canulated, and my left ovary and left tube were adherent to uterus which was opened succesfully. Few small fidroids on the fundus were also removed. We got biopsy report of uterus and was normal without tuberculosis. After laparoscopy we tried for 3 months with siphene and regular ultrasound. But again of no use. With the advice of a very experienced gynaecologist, I went for IVF, but again of no use. My doctor said my eggs were of low quality. I am not understanding what should be my next step. I am very excited to get your contact, that you would suggest me something regarding this. Thank you

Our Expert's Answer

This information was published 11 years, 6 months ago and was correct at the time of publication. It may not reflect our current practices or regulations.

Please note that all the answers we give are on a generic basis only, as we cannot provide more in-depth answers without access to your medical history. If you need a more detailed response, tailored to you, we would recommend a consultation with one of our Fertility Specialists for more comprehensive medical advice.

Your regular periods suggest regular ovulation. It can be confirmed by home ovulation predictor kit. If there is normal ovulation, the clomiphene citrate (Siphene) has limited role in success. Your laparoscopic findings suggest tubal factor subfertility. Unfortunately, even after successful surgery, the pregnancy rate is not very promising. We have limited evidence about tuberculosis effect on fertility or egg quality. In your age group it is usually possible to influence low egg quality by different stimulation protocols or hormonal pre-treatment. I suggest you come to Manchester Fertility for a consultation with your results (incl. egg reserve tests, semen analysis report, and IVF treatment data) to explore available options.