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About Mark Behar
Expertise
Almost any question or concern about sexually transmitted infections, abnormal Pap smears, anal cytology (anal "Pap smears"), gay men's health issues. There is no such thing as “d/d free” or “clean” (free of infection), so why do so many of us deceive ourselves into thinking that some people are indeed totally free from a potentially infectious disease, like HIV, herpes, hepatitis, syphilis, chlamydia, warts, gonorrhea, etc., just because they say so? Clinical laboratory tests are not perfect, and having a “negative” or “nonreactive” test does not mean that a person is free from infection. Perhaps at the moment the test was taken, the person was uninfected; or, perhaps, the test wasn’t sensitive enough to detect presence of the infection. There is really no way that anyone can determine that they are truly “disease free,” and there are over a hundred of infectious conditions that can be spread without your knowing anything. Rather than trying to “prescreen” or “serosort” a potential sex-mate with deceptive questions that are impossible to know by today’s technologies, a wiser option may be to consider everyone infected with something, and either use appropriate protective measures (“safer sex”), or accept the responsibility and conseqences of possibly “catching” something from someone who’s hotter than expected (pun intended!). There is much research that supports the contention that an HIV positive person reliably taking HIV medications, and having an undetectable viral load, presents a lower risk for transmission of HIV than people who may think or say they are HIV negative, but are not. Food for thought!

Experience
Family Practice PA since 1981; Volunteer Clinician for Brady East STD (BESTD) Clinic, Milwaukee, since 1977; answer STD questions submitted to their web site. Professionally lectured at national and regional Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner conferences, and at national gay & lesbian health conferences on topics including HIV/AIDS, herpes, hepatitis, STDs, human papilloma virus (the cause of venereal warts), abnormal Pap smears, gay and lesbian health issues, among others.

Organizations
Co-Founder, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Gay Physician Assistant Caucus of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, Inc.; Wisconsin Academy of Physician Assistants; American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP); Board of Directors, National Association of Black and White Men Together: A Gay, Multiracial Organization for All People (NABWMT)

Publications
Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (JAPA)

Education/Credentials
Physician Assistant Certified, since 1982; Masters in Physician Assistant Studies; Colposcopy Recognition Award, American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP);

Awards and Honors
Colposcopy Recognition Award (CRA), from the American Association of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology; Distinguished Fellow, American Academy of Physician Assistants; Fellow, Wisconsin Academy of Physician Assistants

Past/Present Clients
Brady East STD Clinic, Milwaukee, WI

You are here: Experts > Teens > Health for Teens > Sexually Transmitted Diseases > Could i be Infertile

Sexually Transmitted Diseases - Could i be Infertile

Expert: Mark Behar - 10/30/2009

Question
Hi, i just wanted to ask you..erm...last year my partner had sex with someone else when we split for awhile but unknowingly he caught gonnereoah AND lol clymidia i got back with him and we had sex unprotected and YEP! i caught them both but i never knew and 6months later i went to the gum clinic as i always go every 6months and they told me i had both STI's and i also have PID..i did get treatment for all 3 but i just want to know..
1) Does PID go away or a life time thing?
2) As i had Gonerreah And Claymidia for 6months do you think i may be infertile or have simalar problems?
(i am 17 if it helps)
And thirdly if i am infertile how would i know or find out? And would i still have periods or will it stop? Because i do get period but still concerned i might be infertile at a young age its scary lol..
Thank you for replying back to my other question you were EXTREMALLY helful, please could you try the same this time also any advice is ALWAYS much apprieciated
Tammy..x

Answer
Hi Tammy,
1) PID, if treated properly, does go away. However, chronic inflammation may cause scarring of the tubes that may interfere with your fertility.
2) Gonorrhea and chlamydia may cause infertility, but they may not.
3) The only way to know for sure is to try to get pregnant. If unsuccessful for 2 years, then you may quality for further diagnostic evaluation. Why 2 years?? About 85 women out of 100 will get pregnant successfully after trying for one year. If after 2 years of trying, hormonal tests may be ordered, or special tests, such as hysterosalpingograms to evaluate the patency of the tubes. Ultrasound, MRI, or surgical laparoscopy may also be considered.

But before you even start trying, you should be taking prenatal vitamins for at least a month or two, and have a decent job and education, because once you actually have a child, your life may be pretty tied up for the next 20 years!! It deserves careful thought and preparation before such trying.

Good luck!
--mark

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