Features Associated With Mycoplasma genitalium Infection.

Abstract

Background Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)are commonly encounteredin the emergency department (ED) in the United States. Limited data exist on the prevalence and risk factors forMycoplasma genitalium (M.genitalium), specifically within the ED. We describe the epidemiological and laboratory findings associated withM. genitaliuminfection at the Mayo Clinic, the whole institution, and specifically in the ED. Methods We examined Mayo Clinic Enterprise data for encounters occurring between October 29, 2014, and September 23, 2023, in patients 12-120 years of age who had research authorization present and had testing for gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomonas, andM. genitalium. Results Among 332,619 encounters,M. genitaliumtesting occurred in 1.7% (n=5,572) of encounters, in which a positiveM. genitaliumtestoccurred in 1.8% (n=103) of those tested. Since 2020, there has been an increasing trend forM. genitaliumtesting in the ED in the United States, yet testing forM. genitaliumoccurred in <1% of thosebeing testedfor other STIs in the ED.M. genitaliumcoinfection in the ED with gonorrhea, chlamydia, or trichomonas occurred <1% of the time for all. Factors significant for M. genitalium infection were non-White race (OR 2.33 95% CI (1.50-3.37)), age 45-101 years (vs. 25-35 years) (0.16 (0.05-0.42)), age 36-44 (vs. 25-35 years) (0.47 (0.21-0.94)), married/life partner (vs. divorced, separated, widowed, or unknown) (0.27 (0.11-0.72)), being tested in the ED (versus inpatient and outpatient) and infection withUreaplasmaspecies (3.19 (1.10-9.86)); p<0.04 for all. Conclusion M. genitaliumis infrequently testedin the ED, yet those tested in the ED had a high association with a positive infection. We identified other risk factors forM. genitaliuminfection, including non-White race, age, marital status, and infection withUreaplasmaspecies.