Associations between Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) and demographics, past sexual practices and self-reported symptoms in the prior week*
| MG negative n=1128 median (IQR) or n (%, 95% CI) | MG positive n=75 median (IQR) or n (%, 95% CI) | Adjusted OR (95% CI)† | P value‡ | |
| Median age | 26 (23–29) | 26 (23–29) | 0.96 (0.92 to 1.01) | 0.136 |
| Median number of male partners in the past 12 months | 4 (2–6) | 4 (3–7) | 1.03 (1.00 to 1.07) | 0.053 |
| Condom use in the past 12 months§ | ||||
| Always | 82 (7, 6 to 9) | 4 (5, 1 to 13) | 1 | |
| Not always | 1027 (93, 91 to 94) | 70 (95, 87 to 99) | 1.17 (0.41 to 3.31) | 0.772 |
| STI in the past 6 months§¶ | ||||
| No | 959 (87, 85 to 89) | 62 (85, 75 to 92) | 1 | |
| Yes | 147 (13, 11 to 15) | 11 (15, 8 to 25) | 1.1 (0.55 to 2.22) | 0.78 |
| Self-reported symptoms (in the prior week to recruitment) | ||||
| Abdominal pain | ||||
| No | 962 (86, 83 to 88) | 64 (86, 77 to 93) | 1 | |
| Yes | 161 (14, 12 to 17) | 10 (14, 7 to 23) | 1.08 (0.54 to 2.17) | 0.827 |
| Missing | 5 | 1 | ||
| Dyspareunia | ||||
| No | 1010 (90, 89 to 92) | 66 (90, 81 to 96) | 1 | |
| Yes | 107 (10, 8 to 11) | 7 (10, 4 to 19) | 1.16 (0.51 to 2.61) | 0.724 |
| Missing | 11 | 2 | ||
| Vaginal discharge | ||||
| No | 752 (67, 64 to 70) | 48 (65, 53 to 76) | 1 | |
| Yes | 367 (33, 30 to 36) | 26 (35, 24 to 47) | 0.9 (0.53 to 1.54) | 0.703 |
| Missing | 9 | 1 | ||
| Abnormal vaginal odour** | ||||
| No | 850 (76, 73 to 79) | 60 (81, 70 to 89) | 1 | |
| Yes | 268 (24, 21 to 27) | 14 (19, 11 to 30) | 0.48 (0.24 to 0.96) | 0.037 |
| Missing | 10 | 1 | ||
| Vaginal itch | ||||
| No | 888 (79, 77 to 81) | 55 (74, 63 to 84) | 1 | |
| Yes | 234 (21, 19 to 23) | 19 (26, 16 to 37) | 1.16 (0.62 to 2.14) | 0.644 |
| Missing | 6 | 1 | ||
| Post-coital bleeding | ||||
| No | 1025 (92, 90 to 93) | 64 (89, 79 to 95) | 1 | |
| Yes | 92 (8, 7 to 10) | 8 (11, 5 to 21) | 1.32 (0.58 to 2.99) | 0.511 |
| Missing | 11 | 3 | ||
| Intermenstrual bleeding | ||||
| No | 1009 (90, 88 to 92) | 65 (88, 78 to 94) | 1 | |
| Yes | 110 (10, 8 to 12) | 9 (12, 6 to 22) | 1.28 (0.61 to 2.68) | 0.512 |
| Missing | 9 | 1 | ||
| Dysuria | ||||
| No | 973 (87, 85 to 89) | 64 (85, 75 to 92) | 1 | |
| Yes | 148 (13, 11 to 15) | 11 (15, 8 to 25) | 1.12 (0.56 to 2.25) | 0.745 |
| Missing | 7 | 0 | ||
| Urinary frequency | ||||
| No | 930 (83, 81 to 85) | 62 (83, 72 to 90) | 1 | |
| Yes | 191 (17, 15 to 19) | 13 (17, 10 to 28) | 0.85 (0.43 to 1.71) | 0.654 |
| Missing | 7 | 0 | ||
Bold values are statistically significant.
*Women with an unassessable MG result (n=15) and/or Chlamydia trachomatis were excluded from the analysis (n=100; includes eight women coinfected with MG and C. trachomatis).
†All analyses were adjusted for number of male sexual partners, vulvovaginal candidiasis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and concurrent BV.
‡P value calculated using logistic regression.
§Data missing for up to 3% of participants.
¶STI in the past 6 months referred to bacterial STI only, however some women may have misinterpreted this question and answered with regard to warts or other non-bacterial STIs, and therefore this should be interpreted with caution.
**Abnormal vaginal odour refers to any self-reported odour, not specifically a fishy odour.
BV, bacterial vaginosis; n, number.