Mycoplasma genitalium: What is the sexually transmitted infection and what are the symptoms?

Symptoms are often similar to those of chlamydia and gonorrhoea

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A sexually transmitted infection called mycoplasma genitalium (MG) could become the next superbug, experts are warning.

As a result, the public is being advised always to wear condoms when having sexual intercourse to prevent further spread of the disease.

According to the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), MG often goes unnoticed and it can also develop resistance to antibiotics.

How do you find out if you have MG?

Sexual health experts believe MG goes misdiagnosed in many cases as the symptoms are similar to that of chlamydia.

However new research by BASHH reveals that seven in 10 sexual health experts around the country said they couldn’t afford the required diagnostic tests.

What are the symptoms?

There are often no symptoms of MG, but when patients do experience symptoms, they are often similar to those of chlamydia and gonorrhoea.

Around one to two per cent of the population carries MG and it’s thought to be more prevalent than gonorrhoea, but if the spread of the infection is not prevented, BASHH fears up to 3,000 women a year who have pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) caused by MG could be at increased risk of infertility.

Symptoms in men:

• Watery discharge from the penis
• Burning, stinging or pain when urinating

Symptoms in women:

• Pain during sex
• Bleeding after sex
• Pain in the pelvic area below the belly button

How do you treat it?

BASHH spokesperson Paddy Horner said: “MG is treated with antibiotics, but as until recently there has been no commercially available test, it has often been misdiagnosed as chlamydia and treated as such.

“This is not curing the infection and is causing antimicrobial resistance in MG patients. If practices do not change and the tests are not used, MG has the potential to become a superbug within a decade, resistant to standard antibiotics.”