Private MD News

Women more susceptible to infections during ovulation

Category: Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Women who have unprotected sex while they are ovulating may benefit form STD testing, as new research indicates that they are more susceptible to infection during certain points in their menstrual cycle.

The Spanish and Austrian researchers who conducted the study said that a woman's immune system appears to drop when she is ovulating. The finding was based on immune system testing in mice.

The team postulated that this monthly dip in immune function may be a necessary adaptation to allow sperm to survive inside the female long enough to fertilize an egg.

"This adaption which allows male sperm to survive long enough to fertilize an egg, may also open the door for other types of infection," said John Werry, the deputy editor of the Journal of Luekocyte Biology, which published the results of the study.

The findings underscore the importance of practicing safe sex, particularly while a female is ovulating. Unprotected sex at any point may increase the risk of receiving a positive STD test, but it may be even more dangerous at certain points in a woman's menstrual cycle.