Genital mycoplasma infections

Abstract

Three different species of mycoplasmas--M. hominis, M. fermentans, and Ureaplasma urealyticum--have been found to infect human genitalia. In the man, mycoplasmas appear to play a role in the etiology of nonspecific urethritis and prostatis. Mycoplasmas repeatedly have been cultured from the tubes of patients with acute salpingitis and a significant antibody response to the organisms during recovery has been reported. Obstetric infections and puerperal sepsis occasionally seem to be caused by mycoplasmas. These organisms also appear to induce spontaneous abortion as well as cause infertility in a small proportion of couples.