Thousands of women each year could become infertile because of a new sexually transmitted 'superbug', according to health experts.
Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) is frequently mistaken for chlamydia due to a shortage of testing kits, reports The Mirror .
MG, which can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) which causes infertility, currently affects one in 100 people.
And while chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics, MG is resistant to azithromycin and other antibiotics used to treat chlamydia — indeed the disease can being strengthened by antibiotics.
Now NICE-approved guidelines have been issued by The British Association of Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) to prevent an explosion in the rates of MG infections.
While MG test kits cost £4 each just one in 10 local health commissioners are buying them, according to information released under Freedom of Information.
Paddy Horner, spokesman for the BASHH, said: “We can’t afford to continue with the approach we have followed for the past 15 years as this will undoubtedly lead to a public health emergency with the emergence of MG as a superbug.
“We are asking the government directly to make this funding available to prevent a public health emergency waiting to happen and which is already spiralling out of control.”
The new national guidelines are for women with symptoms of MG to be given the test and treated with the correct medication.
Dr Peter Greenhouse, sexual health consultant and BASHH member said: “It’s about time the public learned about mycoplasma genitalium.
“Without the funds to diagnose MG properly, or the ability for people to get to clinics for checkups, we’ll never get on top of this infection.”
