Women are warned about spread of increasingly dangerous Mycoplasma genitalium STI that can leave them infertile
- Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) is a sexually-transmitted infection that could lead to infertility in 3,000 British women each year
- One in 100 British adults are thought to be infected
- Experts warn that MG has potential to become a superbug as rates are soaring
Thousands of women could become infertile every year thanks to an increasingly dangerous sexually-transmitted infection spread by people having unsafe sex on holiday.
One in 100 British adults aged 16 to 44 are thought to be infected with Mycoplasma genitalium – or MG. But rates are soaring.
MG is a sexually-transmitted infection that could lead to infertility in 3,000 British women each year
MG was discovered in 1981, but few people know of it. Doctors often misdiagnose it as chlamydia.
Experts say 3,000 British women could become infertile each year if it becomes untreatable.
Paddy Horner, of the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV, said: ‘MG has potential to become a superbug.
‘The greatest consequence is for women with pelvic inflammatory disease caused by MG, which would be very hard to treat, putting them at increased risk of infertility.’
Doctors often misdiagnose MG as chlamydia and if left untreated could pose a risk to women wanting children in the future
Gynaecologist Peter Greenhouse said: ‘It’s yet another good reason to pack condoms for the summer holidays.
‘You can’t shut down easyJet, the internet, Tinder and Grindr, all of which make it easier to find new partners. So people need to take precautions.’