Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesSymptomsComplicationsDiagnosisTreatmentPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Symptoms
Complications
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention
Mycoplasma genitalium(Mgen) is a type of bacterium that is sexually transmitted. In natal females, it can cause vaginal itching, burning with urination, and bleeding of the skin around the vagina. In natal males, it can cause urethral discharge or burning with urination.
Mgenis the cause of several types of infections, includingcervicitisandnongonococcal urethritis(NGU). It has also been associated withpelvic inflammatory disease (PID)and implicated in other infections once attributed to other bacteria. It is spread through unprotected sexual intercourse.Mgenis treatable, but if left untreated, it can cause complications.
This article will discuss the causes and symptoms ofMgen. It will also cover howMgenis diagnosed and treated and what you can do to prevent it.
Jess Wiberg / Getty Images
What Causes an Mgen Infection?
Genital mycoplasma, also calledMgen, is a bacterium that can infect the human reproductive organs, including the penis and vagina. It can also infect the rectum.
Mgenis a common sexually transmitted infection. According to some estimates, up to 1% of people in developed countries are infected withMgen. In developing countries, the incidence may be as high as 4%. Anyone can getMgen, but it is more common in sex workers and in natal males who have sex with natal males than it is in other groups.
Mycoplasma Genitalium Symptoms
By and large, most cases ofMgendon’t cause symptoms. If symptoms appear, they are primarily nonspecific and easily mistaken for othersexually transmitted infections (STIs)such aschlamydiaandgonorrhea.
If symptoms do show up, they won’t appear right away.Mgenhas anincubation periodof about four to eight weeks.Thus, it could be about a month or more between exposure toMgenand the onset of symptoms.
Mycoplasma genitaliumsymptoms also differ in natal females and males. If symptomatic, males may experience urethral discharge or pain during urination (dysuria).In females, symptoms include pelvic pain, abnormal vaginal discharge, fever, nausea, vomiting, and potentially bleeding after sex.
As with other STIs,Mgenmay also cause an unusual smell. Some people withMgennotice a fishy odor, which tends to be more prominent after sex.
Mgen Symptoms in WomenVaginal itchingBurning with urinationPain during intercourseBleeding between periods or after sexPossibly a fishy odor after sex and changes in vaginal dischargeMgen Symptoms in MenUrethral dischargeBurning with urination
Mgen Symptoms in WomenVaginal itchingBurning with urinationPain during intercourseBleeding between periods or after sexPossibly a fishy odor after sex and changes in vaginal discharge
Vaginal itching
Burning with urination
Pain during intercourse
Bleeding between periods or after sex
Possibly a fishy odor after sex and changes in vaginal discharge
Mgen Symptoms in MenUrethral dischargeBurning with urination
Urethral discharge
How Is Mgen Spread?
TheMgenbacterium is spread throughunprotected sexual intercourse. This can include vaginal and anal sex.
Some people haveMgenfor years without knowing it. That’s because most people do not develop symptoms. If you remain symptom-free, the infection may eventually resolve on its own, but you could still transmit the bacteria during the time you are infected.
Signs and Symptoms of STIs
Mgen Complications
Mgencan cause complications in both natal males and females. These can include:
There is no approved blood test fordiagnosingMgen. Anucleic acid amplification test (NAAT)is the standard test for a diagnosis.
A NAAT uses urine and swab samples from the urethra, opening of the penis, part of the cervix, or vagina, and produces results in 24 to 48 hours.
Role in Guiding Treatment
Syndromic treatment is when all STI cases that fit a certain profile of symptoms are treated the same without knowing their actual cause.
Healthcare providers who diagnoseMycoplasma genitaliumbased on symptoms alone and treat it accordingly may be right, but not always. That means that some people may have an entirely different infection that warrants a different treatment. Had the infection been properly identified from the start, the correct medication could have been started sooner.
NAAT is, therefore, the recommended testing method to diagnose a suspected case ofMgen. Your doctor can make specific treatment choices based on the results rather than trying something out based on an educated assumption.
Mycoplasma genitaliumis typically treated with antibiotics.
In the past, the most common form of treatment was a single 1-gram (g) dose ofazithromycin. ButMgenmay be becoming more resistant to first-line antibiotics like azithromycin and moxifloxacin.That means that the bacterium has mutated so that the drug is no longer effective.
Today,Mgenfrom a patient is tested to see whether or not the bacterium has mutated into a variant that is resistant to azithromycin. Results of that testing dictate the recommended treatment, which involves two seven-day courses of two different antibiotics:
How Healthcare Providers Choose the Right Antibiotic
Preventing Mgen
Condomsare the best way to preventMgen, but it is still possible to get infected even if you use one. Once you have been diagnosed with the condition, it is important to avoid having sex for at least seven days after you begin treatment. This will help prevent passing the infection on to someone else.
Don’t Ignore Preventive Sexual Health Because You’re Embarrassed
Summary
Treatment forMgeninvolves antibiotics targeting the specific variant of the bacterium.Mgencan be prevented through protected sex with a condom. Contact a healthcare provider if you have have symptoms ofMgenor another STI. Also see a healthcare provider if your partner is showing signs of an STI.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mycoplasma genitalium.British Medical Journal.Mycoplasma Genitalium: easy to detect, hard to treat.Sadoghi B, Kränke B, Komericki P, Hutterer G.Sexually transmitted pathogens causing urethritis: a mini-review and proposal of a clinically based diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm.Front Med (Lausanne). 2022;9:931765. doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.931765Ona S, Molina RL, Diouf K.Mycoplasma genitalium: an overlooked sexually transmitted pathogen in women?Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol. 2016;2016:4513089. doi:10.1155/2016/4513089Horner PJ, Martin DH.Mycoplasma genitalium Infection in Men.J Infect Dis. 2017;216(suppl_2):S396-S405. doi:10.1093/infdis/jix145Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About mycoplasma genitalium.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines.Additional ReadingUnemo M, Nicholas RA.Emergence of multidrug-resistant, extensively drug-resistant and untreatable gonorrhea.Future Microbiol. 2012;7(12):1401-1422. doi:10.2217/fmb.12.117
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mycoplasma genitalium.British Medical Journal.Mycoplasma Genitalium: easy to detect, hard to treat.Sadoghi B, Kränke B, Komericki P, Hutterer G.Sexually transmitted pathogens causing urethritis: a mini-review and proposal of a clinically based diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm.Front Med (Lausanne). 2022;9:931765. doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.931765Ona S, Molina RL, Diouf K.Mycoplasma genitalium: an overlooked sexually transmitted pathogen in women?Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol. 2016;2016:4513089. doi:10.1155/2016/4513089Horner PJ, Martin DH.Mycoplasma genitalium Infection in Men.J Infect Dis. 2017;216(suppl_2):S396-S405. doi:10.1093/infdis/jix145Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About mycoplasma genitalium.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines.Additional ReadingUnemo M, Nicholas RA.Emergence of multidrug-resistant, extensively drug-resistant and untreatable gonorrhea.Future Microbiol. 2012;7(12):1401-1422. doi:10.2217/fmb.12.117
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mycoplasma genitalium.British Medical Journal.Mycoplasma Genitalium: easy to detect, hard to treat.Sadoghi B, Kränke B, Komericki P, Hutterer G.Sexually transmitted pathogens causing urethritis: a mini-review and proposal of a clinically based diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm.Front Med (Lausanne). 2022;9:931765. doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.931765Ona S, Molina RL, Diouf K.Mycoplasma genitalium: an overlooked sexually transmitted pathogen in women?Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol. 2016;2016:4513089. doi:10.1155/2016/4513089Horner PJ, Martin DH.Mycoplasma genitalium Infection in Men.J Infect Dis. 2017;216(suppl_2):S396-S405. doi:10.1093/infdis/jix145Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About mycoplasma genitalium.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mycoplasma genitalium.
British Medical Journal.Mycoplasma Genitalium: easy to detect, hard to treat.
Sadoghi B, Kränke B, Komericki P, Hutterer G.Sexually transmitted pathogens causing urethritis: a mini-review and proposal of a clinically based diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm.Front Med (Lausanne). 2022;9:931765. doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.931765
Ona S, Molina RL, Diouf K.Mycoplasma genitalium: an overlooked sexually transmitted pathogen in women?Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol. 2016;2016:4513089. doi:10.1155/2016/4513089
Horner PJ, Martin DH.Mycoplasma genitalium Infection in Men.J Infect Dis. 2017;216(suppl_2):S396-S405. doi:10.1093/infdis/jix145
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About mycoplasma genitalium.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines.
Unemo M, Nicholas RA.Emergence of multidrug-resistant, extensively drug-resistant and untreatable gonorrhea.Future Microbiol. 2012;7(12):1401-1422. doi:10.2217/fmb.12.117
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