Infectious Disease Reports · Published 2026-04-13 · DOI 10.3390/idr18020035
<b>Background/Objectives</b>: <i>Mycoplasma genitalium</i> is an emerging cause of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and is increasingly recognized for its association with cervicitis and pelvic inflammatory disease. However, prevalence data in specific Japanese subpopulations, particularly comparing pregnant and non-pregnant women, remains limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of <i>M. genitalium</i> and its co-infection rates with <i>Chlamydia trachomatis</i> and <i>Neisseria gonorrhoeae</i> among Japanese women. <b>Methods</b>: A cross-sectional study was conducted using vaginal swab specimens collected between April 2021 and November 2022 from patients visiting two clinics in Gifu, Japan. The study population comprised 2138 non-pregnant women presenting with urogenital symptoms or sexual contact history, and 236 pregnant women undergoing routine antenatal screening. Detection was performed using real-time polymerase chain reaction assays on the cobas<sup>®</sup> 8800 system (Roche Diagnostics). <b>Results</b>: Among non-pregnant women, the overall prevalence was 3.8% (82/2138) for <i>M. genitalium</i>, 3.4% (72/2138) for <i>C. trachomatis</i>, and 0.4% (9/2138) for <i>N. gonorrhoeae</i>. Co-infection rates were low; <i>M. genitalium</i> and <i>C. trachomatis</i> co-infection was observed in 0.2% of cases. Among pregnant women, the prevalence was 3.8% (9/236) for both <i>M. genitalium</i> and <i>C. trachomatis</i>, and 0.4% (1/236) for <i>N. gonorrhoeae</i>. No statistically significant differences in prevalence were observed between pregnant and non-pregnant women for any pathogen. <b>Conclusions</b>: The prevalence of <i>M. genitalium</i> in this Japanese cohort was comparable to that of <i>C. trachomatis</i> in both pregnant and non-pregnant women, highlighting its significance as a major STI pathogen. These findings underscore the importance of including <i>M. genitalium</i> in routine STI screening panels for symptomatic women and antenatal care to prevent reproductive health complications. Given the high rates of antimicrobial resistance documented in Japanese <i>M. genitalium</i> strains, specific diagnostic testing is essential to enable targeted, resistance-guided therapy.
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