When a transfer fails, or when month after month passes with no explanation, the conversation almost always turns to eggs, sperm and hormones.
Far less often does anyone ask a simpler question: is there an infection in the womb?
It is a question worth asking, because the answer is sometimes yes, the woman has no idea, and the treatment is a course of antibiotics.
Chronic Endometritis — Inflammation Without Symptoms
Chronic endometritis is a persistent, low-grade inflammation of the womb lining. Unlike an acute infection, it usually produces no fever and no severe pain. A woman can carry it for years without knowing.
What it does produce is an inflamed lining that is hostile to implantation. Research has found chronic endometritis at meaningfully raised rates in women with repeated implantation failure and recurrent miscarriage — and, importantly, has found that treating it improves outcomes in many of those women.
It is not found on a routine scan. It requires a biopsy of the lining with specific staining, or hysteroscopy. If you have had more than one failed transfer with good embryos, this is a reasonable thing to ask your clinic about by name.
The Infections That Cause Lasting Damage
Chlamydia and gonorrhoea
Chlamydia in particular is often completely symptomless in women. Left untreated it can ascend to the tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease, and the NHS notes that PID can lead to scarring, blocked tubes, ectopic pregnancy and infertility.
This is one of the ways a woman ends up with blocked tubes having never knowingly been ill a day in her life. Testing is simple and worth doing for both partners.
Untreated pelvic infection after delivery or miscarriage
Infection following childbirth, miscarriage or a D&C can leave adhesions inside the womb. This is one of the recognised contributors to secondary infertility.
Recurrent bacterial vaginosis
BV is a disturbance of the vaginal bacterial balance rather than a classic infection, and it is extremely common. It often causes a thin discharge with a distinctive odour, though it can be silent. The NHS notes it is not sexually transmitted but is linked to pregnancy complications, and persistent BV has been associated with lower conception rates.
Please Do Not Try to Treat This With Douching
This matters enormously and it is the reason we wrote Womb Cleansing and Yoni Steaming — What Is Safe and What Is Not. Douching, harsh washes and inserting substances to “clean” or “flush” the womb strip away the protective bacteria that keep the vagina healthy — and they can push bacteria upward, turning a manageable problem into a pelvic infection.
A genuine infection needs identifying and treating properly. Herbs support the terrain; they do not replace an antibiotic where one is indicated, and we will always tell you when one is.
What to Ask For
- Screening for chlamydia and gonorrhoea — both partners, even with no symptoms
- Assessment for BV or thrush if you have recurrent discharge, itching or odour
- After repeated implantation failure or recurrent loss: ask specifically about chronic endometritis and hysteroscopy
- A history review — any past PID, postpartum infection, D&C or ruptured appendix belongs in your fertility notes
An infection is one of the more hopeful findings on this journey, because it is treatable and often quickly. It only stays a problem while nobody is looking for it. Come and speak with us if this has never been explored for you.
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At Ohemaa Fertile Home, we provide guided herbal fertility support rooted in three generations of traditional knowledge. We serve women across Ghana, Nigeria, and the diaspora. Reach out to us on WhatsApp for a free, confidential consultation.
