A new sexually transmitted disease has proven resistant to antibiotics. Scientists worry about the potential “superbug” amid an “out of control” STD epidemic. Mycoplasma genitalium, also known as M. genitalium, is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection. M. genitalium causes genital pain, bleeding, swelling, infertility, and miscarriage. According to scientists, the main issue is the lack of testing and information. Unfortunately, M. genitalium is on a vicious cycle to become a “superbug.” Doctors continue to prescribe antibiotics used to treat STIs, and it fuels its resistance to that antibiotics.
Like other common STDs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, M. genitalium sometimes presents asymptomatic. Sometimes people carry it for years without realizing they are infected; however, the complications can be severe. It can be passed through genital-to-genital sex and unborn babies through mother-to-baby transmission. A study published in the Sexually Transmitted Infections journals in May reported that the risk of preterm birth increased nearly double in women with M. gen.
Furthermore, it is difficult to identify the demographic of people the disease affects most or all the symptoms of M. gen. Some of the identified symptoms include:
- Pain and discomfort while urinating.
- Abnormal discharge for both men and women.
- Women might also experience pain in the lower abdomen and bleeding after sex.
Currently, the CDC doesn’t recommend routine tests for M. genitalium. A test called the Aptima nucleic acid amplification test is the only test to identify the STI and was approved in 2019. Therefore, the test isn’t available everywhere. Patients will only be tested for M. gen if they test negative for other STIs and have persistent symptoms.
