Have Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis infections any significant effect on female fertility?

Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis are known as sexually transmitted agents. U. urealyticum and M. hominis jeopardize male fertility. However, it is unclear whether these infections significantly contribute to female infertility. In this controlled study we aimed to establish whether M. hominis and U. urealyticum are risk factors for female fertility and the prevalence of infection from these agents in patients attending our infertility clinic. A total of 96 married women were enrolled in this prospective study; the infertile (study) group consisted of 50 women and the fertile (control) group comprised 46 women. The patients were searched for the presence of U. urealyticum and M. hominis by a micro-liquid culture method. The samples were collected from the endocervical area with a dacron swab. In the study and control groups 28 of 50 (56%) and 18 of 46 (39%) women were evaluated, respectively, as positivefor U. urealyticum culture. M. hominis was cultured from 4 of 50 (8%) women in the study group while none of those in the control proved positive. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups for either agent (p > 0.05), but the higher prevalence of U. urealyticum in infertile women suggests that these agents should be evaluated in patients that have no other etiological factor for infertility.