Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis. You probably know the usual suspects. But there’s another bacterial STI worth getting acquainted with: Mycoplasma genitalium, or MGen for those of us who don’t feel like saying all that.
Despite its lower profile, MGen deserves a spot on your sexual health radar. It can hang out in the urethra, rectum, or cervix (at the top of the vagina/front hole).
MGen can be passed on through condomless anal, vaginal or front hole sex, including fingering, fisting or sex toy use when sexual fluids containing MGen are passed between people.
What should I look out for?
Like its other STI cousins, MGen doesn’t always announce its arrival. Many people have no symptoms at all. When symptoms do appear, they can include burning or discomfort when you pee, unusual discharge, pelvic pain, bleeding after sex, pain or tenderness in the testicles, rectal pain, or other changes that make you think, ‘… that’s new’.
Should I get tested for MGen? Is it part of normal STI screening?
Should you add MGen to the shopping list every time you get an STI test? Actually, no.
Routine MGen testing isn’t recommended if you don’t have symptoms. If you have symptoms, particularly ongoing or recurring symptoms, ask a doctor whether you need an MGen test.
You should also get tested if you’re an ongoing sexual contact of someone who has been diagnosed with MGen. Testing is available through a sexual health service, such as Canberra Sexual Health Centre or Sexual Health and Family Planning ACT (SHFPACT), or a GP. For more information about getting tested, visit meridianact.org.au/get-tested
What if I test positive?
If you test positive, MGen can be treated with antibiotics, but choosing the right treatment can require a little more care than with some other bacterial STIs. Follow your clinician’s treatment advice, including their advice about when you can have sex again and whether you need a follow-up test to make sure MGen has cleared.
You’ll also need to let people you’ve had sex with know they may have been exposed, so they can get tested too. This also helps avoid passing MGen back and forth, as it’s possible to get MGen again, even after successful treatment.
How do I protect myself from getting MGen?
Condoms and lube can help reduce your chance of getting MGen when you’re having sex.
The important bit is to know your body. If something burns, hurts, bleeds or just seems different, get it checked.
For more information about STIs and other infections related to sex, visit meridianact.org.au/stis
