Everything you need to know about the ‘new’ sexually transmitted disease – See this now!

Should people be tested for it?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved a test for M. genitalium, and doctors do not routinely test for the bacteria, said Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, a urologist at Orlando Health in Florida. However, doctors may consider testing for M. genitalium in patients who have persistent symptoms after treatment for other sexually transmitted diseases that can cause similar symptoms, said Brahmbhatt, who was not involved in the study but treated people with M. genitaliuminfections.

More research is needed to better understand how common M. genitalium is among people in the U.S., and whether routine screening for the bacteria may be warranted, he said.