So embarrassed - just been told I have chlamydia, but been with DH 10 years! Confused.

[goingslowlymad]

I am so embarrassed to be posting this, but am a bit confused. I have been with my DH for 10 years. Before we met I had a fairly promiscuous sexual history but have since been entirely, 100% faithful. My husband was a virgin until we met.

This morning the fertility clinic I am working with called me to say that one of my recent blood tests show that I have Chlamydia anti-bodies in my blood and that my DH and I will both need a one-off dose of anti-biotics to clear it up.

I am not with the fertility clinic for any infertility issues of my own, I am acting as a surrogate for a childless couple. Our first attempt was a negative.

What do you think are the chances of the blood test being incorrect? Since being with my husband I have had 3 children easily, and this year gave birth to surrogate twins. Would I ever have been tested routinely for chlamydia during one of these pregnancies?

Also, after the twins I had some unpleasant discharge and a swab was taken. Would they have been tested for chlamydia then? I was told I had an infection and given anti-biotics but not the type of infection. I have also had various swabs taken during pregnancy due to PROM but maybe they never requested a chlamydia test?

I have no reason to doubt my husband's fidelity, but from what I know about chlamydia I thought it always had pretty devastating effects on a woman's reproductive organs and if so, why have I potentially had it for 10 years with no symptoms and no problems conceiving?

Hi I had been with my husband for 4 years and thought I just had recurring thrush but after tests it was chlamydia. Neither of us had been unfaithful, apparently it can lie dormant and get mistaken for other things such as thrush. I haven 2 healthly kids as well. Sorry cant be more help just wanted you to know you arent the only one. x

Just a thought - could you have contracted it during the surrogacy process somehow?
(Am not medical but it is the only place I could think of where you might have got it other than the obvious)

The embryos are already created and placed directly into me so no chance of that CD. At least I dont think so.

My DH and I have an appt with the GP on Thursday so will ask then.

I think it can lie dormant- will go and check for you

Thanks leoemma. I have also read that it can be responsible for premature birth. My daughter was born at 34 weeks and the twins at 28 weeks so it would be nice to know that that could have been the cause. Well, nice isn't the right word exactly but good to know that it can be eliminated and shouldn't be a risk for next time.

According to google it can lie dormant and thats its problem as it can cause damage which will only present in symptoms when it is too late i.e infertility

therefore sounds like you have been pretty lucky

Thanks lilymolly.

I always thought I had been lucky not to catch anything way back then. I stupidly assumed that because I got pregnant easily I couldnt possibly have chlamydia.

When I rang my DH to explain I think I just conused him. I have always joked that if a test showed anything then it would mean one of us is unfaithful, but apparently that's not the case either.

To make it worse, my friend and a man repairing my dishwasher was here when the nurse called and told me. How humiliating

oh dear

I remember being a little wild when I was about 25 and had a few one night stands-

I had a smear test and asked them to check for chlamydia- the nurse thought I was mad- it was negative.

I knew the dangers about infertility and wanted to check I was ok.

Looking back it was quite clever of me really

if there are just antibodies, could that mean that you ahd it years ago? or maybe when you had an 'infection' and where given AB's?

Apparently there are only a couple of types of anti-biotics that get rid of it and once you have it, you remain able to pass it around until it's cured, acording to teh nurse. But she has a habit of talking nonsense so take it with a pinch of salt until I talk to a GP on Thursday.

Would anyone else doubt their DH/DP in this situation, even if no evidence to suggest wrong-doing?

I think it would be VERY dangerous to start having doubts about your OH's faithfulness before you talk to Dr.

As far as I remember, Huge no's of people have symptomless chlamydia, walk about with it for years. It CAN cause infertility, but doesn't ALWAYS cause infertiity.

How would you feel if dh turned to you and said "right, you have obviously been playing around"?

You would feel hurt and resentful, wouldn't you, esp. when you know you haven't? It could cause a huge wound in your relationship.

I'd keep quiet until after you have talked properly to GP.

well last night I remembered that as part of my testing to join COTs (the surrogacy people) I did tests for all STDs.

I emailed COTs and they confirmed that in 2006 I was negative.

My thoughts now are that the COTs test was a urine test that only showed current infection, and that my body shows anti-bodies in the blood for chlamydia but I am not now infectious as it was an old infection, pre-husband, and my body has cleared it. Does that make sense?

There is absolutely zero chance my husband has cheated. None what-so-ever. I am going to ring the clinic later and ask them if my husband's blood tests showed he was positive for it too, and whether it could be an old infection which no longer requires treatment. I will also ask whether it could be a total lab arror. Maybe some numpty has written the results down incorrectly?

Antibodies are suggestive of old chlamydia infection, which has now passed. If you have had STI screening in the past couple of years which was negative, then I strongly believe that you had the infection pre-dh.

No, chlamydia is not screened for routinely in pregnancy (although I think it should). Also, if you had some discharge, it may be that you only had a HVS (high vaginal swab) taken, and not specific chlamydia swabs. Therefore, it is easy to see how you could have escaped the net.

I would strongly doubt that the clinic will discuss your dh's results with you over the phone. Confidentiality and all that!

Don't lose too much sleep or read too much into your test result and good luck with your surrogacy.