Amid an “out of control” STD epidemic, experts are concerned about a new sexually transmitted disease that may be a “superbug” resistant to antibiotics.
The sexually transmitted bacterial infection called Mycoplasma genitalium, commonly referred to as M. genitalium or M. gen, can result in genital pain, bleeding, swelling, infertility, and miscarriage.
Scientists claim that the lack of information and limited testing for the virus outbreak is the most concerning part.
According to NBC News, maternal-fetal medicine associate professor, Dr. Irene Stafford of McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston said, “It’s a real concern. Why are we not looking into this?”
M. gen can occasionally be asymptomatic, and people might carry the infection for years without realizing it. However, the complications can be severe, much like other common STDs like chlamydia and gonorrhea.
In May, a study was published in the Sexually Transmitted Infections journal that women who carried M. gen. had a greater risk of premature birth.
According to Clarke, the issue is a lack of knowledge about the disease, which will only make it more prevalent as long as people are unaware of it.
Doctors’ continued use of the antibiotics typically used to treat STIs feeds the bacteria’s resistance to those drugs, the professor claims, creating a vicious cycle that leads to the development of superbugs. As a result, M. gen. can develop into a superbug.
- 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.
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