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Mycoplasma genitalium (M. genitalium) is a sexually transmitted bacteria.

Signs and symptoms

People with M. genitalium often do not experience any symptoms.

Symptoms that may occur in women:

• Burning sensation when urinating
  
• Vaginal itching
  
• Painful intercourse
  
• Abnormal vaginal discharge
  
• Abnormal bleeding between periods
  
• Abdominal pain

Symptoms that may occur in men:

• Burning or painful sensation when urinating
  
• Inflammation or redness of the penis and foreskin
  
• Inflammation of the lining of the rectum
  
• Abnormal discharge

Symptoms typically appear within 1-3 weeks after being infected.

Transmission

• M. genitalium is caught from sex with an infected person
  
• Genital-to-genital contact

Prevention

• Use condoms/ barriers consistently and correctly
  
• Abstain from sexual intercourse until treatment is complete
  
• Get an infected partner tested and treated

Treatment

• Seek medical care to discuss testing and treatment
  
• Treatment may include antibiotics

If not treated

• Increases your risk for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) Increases your risk for Epididymitis (inflammation of the epididymis)
  
• If someone has other STD's such as HIV,
  
• M. genitalium can make it more likely to pass on other infections.

If you have M. genitalium

• Seek medical care
  
• Take medication as instructed by a medical professional
  
• Refrain from intercourse until you and your partner have completed treatment
  
• Speak to a provider if you've used macrolide-based antibiotics previously to treat infections. This may impact the drugs effectiveness to treat M. genitalium.