Ovulation, which can be defined as the phase in the menstrual cycle where an “egg” (…or oocyte or female gamete) is released, also increases the risk of infection according to new research published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology.
It suggests that a woman’s ovarian cycle plays an important role in the susceptibility to infection.
Researchers in Spain and Austria found higher risk for sexually-transmitted diseases like Candida albicans during ovulation than at any other time during the reproductive cycle. The researchers point to higher levels of estradiol present prior to ovulation as decreasing effectiveness of the immune system, which can result in the growth and promotion of infection.
Dr. Miguel Relloso, PhD says this natural dip in immunity “…may be to allow spermatozoa to survive the threat of an immune response so it may fertilize an egg successfully” according to a report in Medical News Today.
Relloso and colleagues involved in the research used mice and found that higher levels of the sex hormone, estradiol, increased risk to systemic candidiasis, or fungal infection. To monitor these effects, researchers used in vivo and ex vivo infection models. Some of these mice were then pulsed with C. albicans antigens, which were found to have lower Th117 immune response.
“The next time you hear a woman say that she’s sick of men,” comments John Wherry, PhD, deputy editor of the journal the research appeared in, “you can add this to her list as another reason. This adaptation which allows male sperm to survive long enough to fertilize an egg may also open the door for other types of infections.”
Infection is a very serious condition demanding immediate attention. If you’re concerned about these risks, it’s important you speak with an OB/GYN. Contact gynecology doctors in Gainesville at All About Women to schedule an appointment today.
