While we have come so far in our fight against STDs, that doesn't stop them from mutating, changing, and apparently growing. A recent study suggests that there is a new STD that we all have to start worrying about: mycoplasma genitalium, or MG.
The weird thing is that experts have known about MG since the '80s, according to a new paper that was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. It resides in the urinary and genital tracts and is most likely spread through sexual contact.
The University College London examined urine samples from 4,507 women and men between 18 and 44. They had to be sexually active with at least one partner. Out of that pool, 48 women and 24 men were diagnosed with MG. However, none of the teenagers (there were about 200) tested positive for the infection.
CNN spoke with Raquel Dardik, MD, a clinical associate professor at NYU Langone's Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health, in order to get more information about the new (at least to us) STD.
She said that just like many other STDs, this one is often asymptomatic. However, irritation, painful urination, and bleeding after sex can be signs that women have it. For men, the signs were typically a watery discharge from the penis or pain during urination.
There is a big problem though, few labs offer the test to see if you have the STD, which means it isn't as easy to get tested for it. Your best options are to go to an MG research center or a big university lab that is studying the infection.
However, Dr. Dardik is hopeful that since the infection is finally come to light, there will be more places offering help.
In the meantime, she stresses: "If you have [symptoms of an] infection, but all the tests come back negative, it's important to consider that MG may be the cause."
The other good news is that you can get treatment for it - the antibiotic azithromycin treats it.
The best way to prevent it? "Condoms, condoms, condoms," Dr. Dardik says. "The bottom line is it's a bacteria, and condoms are very effective against bacteria."
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