Autoimmune disease and infertility

HLA-B27 is hereditary. Ergo, I can have children. I seldom got eye inflammation. (I got seven episodes of uveitis so far: year 2000, 2001, 2006, 2006, 2011, 2011 and 2013.  I never consulted my rheumatologist for 12 years already. I feel that I am perfectly fine.

I never told my OBGYNE1 that I have autoimmune disorder. First failed IUI (June 2013), my husband’s sperm were moving like maggots. Second failed IUI (Oct 2013), I blamed travelling to Cavite City on bumpy road as the culprit. Third failed IUI (Jan 2014), who or what shall I blame?  

My OBGYNE1 sighed while she was writing my prescription for the fourth IUI. She asked why my three IUIs failed? I felt my world stopped spinning. I felt our eye contact was so intense. It seems that she was seriously waiting for my answer. I thought IUI has 20% success chance.  I tried to break our eye contact, I looked at my shoes and replied: I guess my immune system is the culprit.  I paused and look at her again. I told her I had tested my blood for HLA-B27 gene more than a decade ago. I suffered recurrent uveitis. I told her I missed the fertility work-up in Nov 2013 because I had uveitis. 

Then, she replied: no IUI and IVF shall succeed if I have immunologic problem. Then, she crossed out GonalF in the prescription and requested LAD (leukocyte antibody detection), anti-lupus coagulant and anti-cardiolipin antibody be tested. Based on her reaction, I felt “HLA” was a bad word for that day.

I used Letrozole only, and I never used GonalF before, hope it will work next time. I felt like I was deprived of chance. On the other side, I felt I had a new lead- immunology.

Lately, I just learned that people with many allergies and autoimmune disease has higher risk of infertility.

OBGYNE1 is a reputable reproductive endocrinologist in Manila.