You are right. An untreated STD is one of the causes of infertility in both men and women. This is why it is important to treat STDs until you are completely better and to stop having sex until the doctor says you are cured. You must also tell your sex partner(s) that you are infected so they can be tested too. And remember - condoms stop you getting STDs. Use them every time!Although our society usually blames women for infertility, in half the cases the problem is with the man. There are many causes of infertility in men; they are ...

• he does not produce enough sperm
  
• his testicles were damaged by having mumps after puberty
  
• his sperm cannot leave his penis because an STD has scarred the tubes during sex,
• his penis is not hard or he climaxes before he is deep enough inside the woman
  

The main causes of infertility in women are ...

• scarring in the tubes or womb caused by an STD, an unsafe abortion, or problems in child birth
  
• an infection from an unclean IUD
  
• she does not produce an egg (no ovulation)
  
• she has fibroids growing in her womb
  
• illnesses such as diabetes, tuberculosis or malaria

For an infertile couple, the most important thing is that they share the problem and try to solve it together.

Auntie Stella