Hardly any chance of reduced fertility due to chlamydia, GGD adjusts testing policy

This article was last updated on July 11, 2024

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Hardly any chance of reduced fertility due to chlamydia, GGD adjusts testing policy

An infection with the venereal disease chlamydia only carries a very small risk of reduced fertility, recent research shows. Based on these new scientific insights, the GGD will adjust its testing policy next year.

For years, chlamydia was thought to be a major cause of infertility in women. For this reason, an extensive campaign has been launched on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the STD. Chlamydia is currently still treated with antibiotics as standard, even if there are no complaints.

New research shows that in most cases the STD goes away on its own without causing any harmful effects. Moreover, there is no evidence that the current approach is effective.

Avoid overtreatment

From January 2025, the GGD will therefore no longer routinely test for chlamydia in people without complaints. This prevents overtreatment and contributes to combating antibiotic resistance. People with complaints are still tested.

Every year, thousands of people are tested for chlamydia without complaints, often in combination with gonorrhea. This does not lead to a decrease in the number of chlamydia infections. The GGD will continue to test for gonorrhea.

In 2023, more than 24,000 chlamydia diagnoses were made at a Sexual Health Center of the GGD. This happened in 45 percent of the cases in women and in 23 percent of the cases in heterosexual men.

STD AIDS Netherlands calls the adjustment of the testing policy good news. “Many people have been afraid of the negative consequences of this STD for years. These new insights therefore show that this fear is largely unfounded,” says infectious disease control doctor Hanna Bos.

The organization emphasizes that it is still very important to prevent an STD and use a condom. Testing for STDs also remains important.