Urinary tract infections and infertility among adult population in tertiary care hospital Chennai- A comparative cross sectional study

• Author Details:   
• Sopia Abigail ^*
• Sathiyapriya V
• Sivaranjani P
• Ananthi B
• Sivaharivelan Thiagarajan
• Balakumar M

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Background: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and clinical characteristics of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and its association with infertility in individuals attending the gynaecology outpatient department at a tertiary care hospital in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The study was motivated by the high burden of UTIs and the potential link between UTIs and infertility in the region.

Materials and Methods: This was a comparative cross-sectional study. Urine samples were collected from 1,321 participants (834 female’s and 487 males) in the reproductive age group of 19-45 years. The samples were processed using standard microbiological techniques to identify the causative uropathogens and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns.

Result: The overall incidence of UTI was 26.2%, with Gram-negative bacteria (61.5%) being the most common causative agents, particularly Escherichia coli (30.4%) and Klebsiella species (8.1%). Candida species were detected in6.1% of urine samples from infertile females and 4.5% of females in the control group. The incidence of UTI-causing pathogens was statistically significant in both the infertile male and female groups compared to the control groups.

Conclusions: The study found a high prevalence of UTIs, particularly among individuals with infertility, but did not establish a statistically significant association between UTIs and infertility. The findings highlight the need for improved management and prevention of UTIs, as well as further research to elucidate the complex relationship between UTIs and infertility in the local context of Tamil Nadu.