men & women
Mycoplasma Genitalium
Mycoplasma genitalium is a bacterial sexually transmitted infection that causes persistent urethritis or cervicitis and is treated with resistance-guided antibiotics.
Symptoms
1
Burning when urinating that lingers or returns after treatment
2
Urethral discharge in men
3
Unusual vaginal discharge or bleeding after sex
4
Pelvic discomfort in women
5
Frequently no symptoms at all
Causes and how it spreads
Mycoplasma genitalium is a small bacterium passed on through sexual contact. It has become notorious for antibiotic resistance, which is why infections treated blindly with standard antibiotics often fail to clear and symptoms grind on for months.
How PVT tests for it
PVT tests with molecular (NAAT) testing on urine or swabs at an accredited pathology laboratory, including resistance profiling where available. Resistance profiling matters: it tells your doctor upfront which antibiotics will actually work for your particular strain.
Treatment
Treatment is resistance-guided: the antibiotic is chosen based on the resistance profile of your infection rather than guesswork. This usually means a staged antibiotic course prescribed by your doctor, with a test-of-cure afterwards to confirm clearance. Partners are tested and treated in parallel.
When to see a doctor
Think of mycoplasma genitalium when urethritis or cervicitis symptoms persist or return after standard STI treatment. Test too if a partner has been diagnosed. This is an infection where precise testing genuinely changes the outcome.
Related service
Sexual Health Screening
Sexual health screening at PVT is confidential doctor-led testing for sexually transmitted infections, for men and women, with results and treatment handled privately.
Questions about
Mycoplasma Genitalium
Why have I never heard of mycoplasma genitalium?
It was only identified in the 1980s and reliable testing became widespread much later. It is now recognised as a significant cause of persistent urethritis in men and cervicitis in women, and testing for it is standard in a thorough sexual health work-up.
Why did my previous antibiotics not clear it?
Mycoplasma genitalium has high rates of resistance to commonly used antibiotics, including the ones prescribed for chlamydia. If it was treated without resistance profiling, the antibiotic may simply not have matched the strain. Resistance-guided treatment fixes that.
Is a test-of-cure necessary?
Yes, for this infection it is. Because treatment failure is relatively common, a follow-up test some weeks after finishing antibiotics confirms the infection has genuinely cleared rather than gone quiet.
Do partners need testing?
Yes. Reinfection from an untreated partner undermines even perfectly chosen antibiotics. Current partners should be tested, and treated with the same resistance-guided approach if positive.