New Delhi, July 31 (IANS): Genital Tuberculosis (TB) in 40-60 percent of the women is leading to infertility, doctors warned here on Friday.

According to doctors, the only reason every two in 10 women, suffering from TB, are not able to bear child is the genital TB, which is increasing with the lack of awareness and lifestyle changes.

"In women, the TB leads to thinning of endometrium due to the infection in uterus, thus resulting as a barrier to proper development of foetus," said Ajay Murdia, the director of Indira Infertility Clinic and Test Tube Baby Centre.

Calling it a silent invader, he said: "It's very difficult to notice the traits of TB hampering the fertility.

"However, there are symptoms like irregular menstrual cycle, vaginal discharge that is stained with blood, pain after intercourse could be noticed, but in many cases as bacteria remains latent these symptoms are showcased at a later stage," he added.

A recent study by the Indian Journal of Medical Research through its survey stated that the number of women with genital tuberculosis in India has increased to 30 percent in 2015 from 19 percent in 2011.

The report also stated that Saudi Arabia has the second highest number of genital tuberculosis patients with 21 percent.

Murdia said apart from the sneezes, coughs of a TB patient, genital TB also spreads through sexual intercourse with an infected person.

Talking about the genital TB in men, Arvind Vaid, a Delhi-based IVF specialist, said the disease blocks the passage, as a result of which the man is not able to discharge his sperm into a woman's vagina.

"Other symptoms are low sperm motility and pituitary gland not able to produce sufficient hormones can be seen," he said.

He said proper medication in proper time could cure genital TB and help woman in getting successfully pregnant.

He also cautioned the mothers suffering from TB to put a mask on their face and only then breast feed their baby to protect their kids from contracting TB.

Speaking on the test available in the market to diagnose genital TB, Vaid said," The most trustworthy method of diagnosis is making a histological diagnosis of tubercles that helps doctors on laparoscopy to confirm whether the suspicious lesions are due to tuberculosis or not."

"Polymerase chain reaction is also one of the methods to diagnose. Unfortunately it's expensive and not reliable," he added.