Ureaplasma, can you say that again?

Written by: Tamar Simone Weir

My first exposure to understanding and general awareness of ureaplasma, was 3 years ago. At the time, a friend of mine started feeling something was off in her body, she was starting to feel pain, and decided to get a full STI test screening done, only to be surprised when everything came back negative except, ureaplasma. In her results, ureaplasma was found present, in addition to the results of her boyfriend at the time. This was shocking as this was her first STI, and it was one that we both had never heard of before!! Recent data confirms that ureaplasma is frequently found in asymptomatic individuals, 14% in one 2023 study, indicating that the presence alone doesn't indicate disease and why perhaps many people are not aware of this common bacteria. As we both processed it together, we both did quite a bit of research trying to unearth information about something that was so clearly causing physical and emotional distress for my friend, and lots of confusion for the both of us.

Guide to Ureaplasma, Daye

Fast forward many years, and we are in the year of 2025..... One day I woke up, and started to get pain while urinating. I won't describe the full story here, but if you'd like to read more about it, I wrote a whole blog post you can check out here. Eventually after presenting my case and situation with my urologist, he recommended I get tested for the "weirder STI's" those are his words not mine..... I won't go into why that's problematic on so many levels, but I was given a test for Ureaplasma and Mycoplasma. Previously I had been tested every 3 months for a general STI screening, but most clinics do not test for all the STI's just the more common ones, therefore lots of people find themselves in these confusing situations where they think they are fully being tested, and the reality is that they are not. For many STI tests you need to actively request to have them added on, which means that if you are not presenting with symptoms that may indicate a sign for needing to be tested, or if you are a little less knowledgeable, then you probably won't know to ask your doctor to add on the additional tests....

In my case, I finally tested for these two, and sure enough, they came back positive. A part of me was hoping that my urinary and urethra pain that I was experiencing was due to the ureaplasma bacteria, making this confusing and frustrating process hopefully come to a conclusion quickly, but that was not the case.... My urologist recommended that I get on antibiotic treatment right away which was a 10 day treatment of , "Doxycycline Monohydrate". After the 10 day treatment, I was still experiencing the same amount and level of pain while urinating and was confused as to whether or not I still had ureaplasma. I waited about a month before re-testing, and once I did, my tests came back negative for both Ureaplasma and Mycoplasma....

CONFUSION GALORE

While I first hand experienced this confusing STI, I was constantly faced with the uncertainty about the information I was given. Even my urologist gave me unclear advice as to treatment and care. When I asked him how long I should wait to test after finishing treatment he said anywhere from 2-4 weeks. That seems like a pretty big difference of time to me..... Then when I had researched online, many folks were suggesting different things, so picking information and cross referencing from a lot of different sources, flooded me with a lot of differing information. I think that this is a general confusion place for many folks. Many folks when trying to access information about sexual health and their bodies go to the internet for information first. Doctors and getting quick access to appointments is not always a sustainable, available, or comfortable option for folks, but the internet is often readily available especially for the younger generation. Something that I feel is really positive about folks being able to hop online to search for answers to their questions is the ability to find people who are struggling or going through a similar situation that you are facing. That feeling of finding comfort in the knowing that you are not alone, and that others are also in this with you. The comfort in the solidarity and similarity of experiences. But with the internet can come lots of fear, confusion, and misinformation. It's not an easy place to navigate that's for sure.

SO, what is Ureaplasma?

I feel the need to go into the details, as EVERY single person that I have told since contracting this has had no idea what this infection is. No idea. The only folks who have known have been fellow sex educators, and my friend who has had her first hand experience and that is why she knew about this!! Otherwise everyone has said, "HUH what's that?" So let's get into it! Boca Babes OBGYN, discusses how ureaplasma + mycoplasma are bacterial infections commonly found in individuals who are sexually active, but not commonly known as sexually transmitted infections. Ureaplasma has gained some popularity in conversation recently, and Biomedical engineer Giana Jarrah, discusses how although this bacteria is very persistent it is not commonly known as an STI due to the fact that many folks can have this bacteria in their healthy vaginas, bodies, and urogenital tracts. Unlike other STI's that need to be treated immediately, Ureaplasma can live inside a healthy vagina/urogenital tract without causing disturbance or stress, and an unhealthy vagina, making it a commensal bacteria. It is also a opportunistic bacteria, meaning that when the healthy bacteria is low, ureaplasma can be triggered, but when the healthy bacteria and PH is in a regular healthy state, the bacterium can live inside the body without causing harm or need for concern.

Although it is not a commonly known or regarded STI, how and do we disclose this to our sexual partners?

"How to Disclose your STI by Erika Moen"

Disclosing any sort of change or condition of our body, can naturally be anxiety inducing, can trigger complicated feelings, or bring up new emotions that we have not otherwise been aware of. I know that in my own disclosure, I have come a long way in the types of conversations I have with people, and the way I feel about myself as I engage in these conversations. There is no one "right" way to disclosure your status, and to open up body conversations, as many of you know, I generally tend to say there is no one way, and like to steer away from universality. Although many of us share similar experiences, and find ourselves on parallel paths, we are not all the same nor do we have the same brains and ways of living. Our experiences are so closely tied to the ways we feel with opening up, with conflict, with honesty, with openness etc.

With ureaplasma, it is sometimes harder to treat and get correctly diagnosed, as it is not commonly tested for in most clinics. Most doctors will only give you the specific test required to screen for Ureaplasma, if you have already done the routine STI screening, and are still experiencing active symptoms. Even within the testing, receiving the most accurate type of test is important, because having a qualitattive test that shows up positive for ureaplasma does not necessarily mean you have an active infection that requires treatment.

Ureaplasma is commonly found in the urogenital tract of healthy individuals, so that is why this bacteria is so tricky! It can often show up as positive on a test result, but what indicates need for treatment is when the test measures the actual quantity present making it effective in determining bacterial load. It is important to get accurately tested, and therefore make a decision on how you will disclosure this infection to your sexual partners based on the accuracy. What's really interesting is that, often times the treatment for this infection is antibiotics, but there is a unique challenge here. This species is known for developing a high resistance to antibiotics, so fully eradicating the bacteria is often a long process. This is why many healthcare providers will advise against going on treatment for Ureaplasma unless you are experiencing symptoms or there is concern for larger health risks.

the message I sent to my more recent sexual partners (for inspo)

All in all, communication is key. You here this again and again, but what does it really mean in the day to day. We can say that we want more communication in our lives, and want to communicate sexual needs, updates, and desires with our partners, but when it comes to the moment that is not happening. There are so many sex educators, who do amazing work in empowering folks to have these uncomfortable conversations, I really enjoyed listening to a NPR conversation with sex educator Dr. Evalene Dacker, who goes through potential scenes of beginning these conversations!! For another interesting perspective from a sex educator who focuses on Herpes and the stigma around this STI, check out the podcast, SPFPP 404: How to Communicate an STI Exposure, where Courtney Brame talks about his own experience as a human (not just a sexual health educator) navigating these conversations in his real life.

https://www.ohjoysextoy.com/sti/

I do truly believe that spreading more accurate information is very important! But beyond the accuracy of specifics like when to get tested, specific treatment, testing after treatment, and how this bacteria gets spread, information about our bodies and our own experiences are SOOOOOO vital! For instance, if we do not know when our bodies are communicating to us through stress response, or when our bodies odor is off, how will we know when there is significant physical or emotional changes to our state? I'm really curious about the ways in which people can feel connected to their bodies, and how they feel that. On the other side of that, when we feel disconnected or unable to notice our physical & emotional changes/ responses, how do we notice that too?

To recap, having conversations with others is HARD, and before even beginning having a conversation about a potential STI status, or desire request, can we even look in the mirror and say out loud, " I want to be caressed for an hour, then be pushed against the wall?" Tenderness goes a long way for ourselves, and for when our bodies communicate that there is a shift.

I hope through reading this short blog, you know just a few percents more about Ureaplasma and Mycoplasma, and that perhaps you can even whisper to yourself one little desire.....

XOXO