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Objective To determine Mycoplasma genitalium infection and correlates among young women undergoing population-based screening or clinic-based testing for Chlamydia infection. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) and two London sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics. Participants 2441 women aged 15–64 years who participated in the NCSP and 2172 women who attended two London STI clinics over a 4-month period in 2009. Outcome measures (1) M genitalium prevalence in defined populations (%). (2) Age-adjusted ORs (aORs) for correlates of M genitalium infection. Results The overall frequency of M genitalium and Chlamydia trachomatis was 3% and 5.4%, respectively. Co-infection was relatively uncommon (0.5% of all women); however 9% of women with C trachomatis also had M genitalium infection. M genitalium was more frequently detected in swab than urine samples (3.9 vs 1.3%, p

Background Mycoplasma genitalium is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) associated with cervicitis, endometritis and pelvic inflammatory disease in women. There is a lack of data on M.genitalium in the United Kingdom. We conducted a study to determine its prevalence and risk factors among sexually active young women in the general population and attending STI clinics. Methods First catch urine samples, self-taken vaginal and cervical swabs from 4644 women in the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) and attending two London STI clinics were tested for M. genitalium by quantitative real-time PCR, confirmed by MgPa 1–3 genotyping. C.trachomatis results, demographic, sexual behaviour (NCSP only, 2470 women) and STI (clinics only, 2174 women) data were also available. Results M. genitalium prevalence was 3%, C.trachomatis 5% and only 0.5% of women were co-infected. M.genitalium was more prevalent in swab than urine samples (4.6% vs. 1.4%, p M.genitalium was associated with ethnicity (black 4.7% vs. white 2%, p = 0.01) and C.trachomatis with age (16–19 years 8.5% vs. 20–24 years 5.7%, p M.genitalium and C.trachomatis were detected more frequently in women reporting multiple sexual partners in the previous year compared to women who reported only one partner (OR 2.2, p = 0.02 and OR 1.8, p M.genitalium was associated with younger age (16–19 years 9.9%, 20–24 years 6.2% vs . > 25 years 1.7%, p = Trichomonas vaginalis were significantly more likely to have M.genitalium compared to women with no previous STI diagnoses (OR 2.4, p = 0.02 and OR 5.7, p Conclusion M. genitalium and C. trachomatis seldom co-exist and appear to have different risk factors. Further data on M.genitalium are necessary to determine the need for routine testing and treatment.