Do I need a Mycoplasma genitalium test?  

Many people have MGen harmlessly, and it often goes away without any treatment. Testing can tell you whether you have MGen or not. You only need to be tested for MGen if you have symptoms or have had sex with someone who has recently tested positive for MGen. If you have symptoms you should attend a sexual health clinic for testing, but if you have no symptoms and have had sex with someone who has tested positive for MGen then you can order a test through us. You won’t usually need any treatment unless you test positive for MGen.

If you have Mgen for a long time without knowing it, it may sometimes cause: 

• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), but this is rare. PID can cause long-term pain and increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy and infertility in women. 
• Painful infection in the testicles, but this is not common
• Inflamed joints, but this is rare

It’s a good idea to get tested for STIs at least once a year and whenever you have a new sexual partner. 

When do symptoms for Mycoplasma genitalium appear? 

Most people with Mgen won’t have any symptoms.  

If you do get symptoms, they may appear a few weeks after exposure to Mgen or not until months afterward. 

Mgen symptoms can be very similar to other STIs, like chlamydia and gonorrhoea. If you have any symptoms, it’s important to get checked at a sexual health clinic. 

If you’ve had anal (in your bottom) sex, it’s possible to have Mgen in your rectum (bottom). This probably won’t have any noticeable symptoms. 

Mycoplasma genitalium symptoms in men 

Symptoms may include: 

• Pain or a burning feeling when you pee. 
• Discharge from the tip of the penis.  

Mycoplasma genitalium symptoms in women 

Symptoms may include: 

• Pain during sex. 
• Bleeding after sex or between periods. 
• Pain low down in your tummy. 
• Pain or a burning feeling when you pee. 

When should I get tested for Mycoplasma genitalium? 

If you have any symptoms, get tested at a sexual health service as soon as possible. 

You can get a Mgen test at any time. A test may not always detect Mgen in the early stages, so you may sometimes get a negative test result even though you do have Mgen. 

After a negative test, there’s no need to test for Mgen again unless you start to have symptoms, or a partner with symptoms has tested positive for Mgen. 

Mycoplasma genitalium home test results 

How quickly will I get my Mycoplasma genitalium test results? 

As soon as your Mgen test results are ready, we’ll contact you by text or email with details of how to access them securely online.  

You’ll usually get your online results 2 to 5 days from when we receive your sample. 

What happens if I get a positive Mycoplasma genitalium test result? 

If your Mgen test is positive, we will give you details for local help and advice services. 

Mgen is treated with antibiotics, but if you don’t have any symptoms then you may not need treatment. You can speak to a local sexual health service for advice. 

If you test positive for other STIs and need treatment at a sexual health clinic, then it’s important to tell them that you also tested positive for Mgen. You can show them your online test result or print it out. They may need to examine you and take swabs before giving you any treatment. 

If you get symptoms or you do need treatment, then your current or recent sexual partners will need to be tested for and may need treatment. Sexual health services may be able to help you contact them anonymously. 

How confidential is my Mycoplasma genitalium test? 

Our service is completely confidential. All our tests are delivered in plain packaging and we won’t tell anyone else about your Mgen test. 

We don’t share your results with anyone else but if you test positive for Mgen, you may need to share your result with a sexual health clinic to get advice and treatment. 

See our FAQs for more information on how we keep your data secure.

How accurate are Mycoplasma genitalia tests? 

No STI tests are 100% accurate but our Mgen tests are carried out by an expert STI testing laboratory. 

It is unlikely that you’ll get a positive result if you don’t have Mgen. 

If your test is negative but you start to get symptoms, or a partner tests positive for Mgen, you should go to a sexual health clinic for a further test.