Thousands of Danes infected with obscure sexual disease

‘Mycoplasma genitalium’ has similar symptoms to chlamydia, but cannot be detected by common STI tests

Thousands of Danes have been unknowingly infected with a sexually-transmitted disease that not many people have heard of, reports BT.

The disease is called ‘Mycoplasma genitalium’ and according to the State Serum Institute (SSI) some 8,000 to 10,000 Danes now carry it.

Mycoplasma genitalium has similar symptoms to chlamydia – an itching or burning sensation when urinating – and tends to affect young people aged 20-35.

However, many infected people don’t experience these symptoms and may not be aware they have the disease.

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If untreated, mycoplasma genitalium causes cervicitis and pelvic inflammatory diseases in women and an inflammation of the epididymis (the coiled tube on the back of each testicle) in men.

The common test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea does not detect the disease, and people have to specifically ask their doctor to be tested for it.

Anyone not experiencing the symptoms and regularly using condom when having sex (the best protection against the disease) doesn’t have to worry, claims Jørgen Skov Jensen, a consultant at SSI.

The disease is treated with antibiotics.

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