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Introduction
Ureaplasmosis is one of the most common and so-called “commercial” diagnoses in urology and gynecology, which is often used by unscrupulous doctors. This diagnosis can be made to almost half of men and 80 percent of women.But is ureaplasmosis so dangerous? Does it need to be treated? And where does it actually come from? Let's try to figure out all these questions.
What kind of beast is ureaplasma?
Ureaplasma was first discovered in 1954 by the American doctor Shepard in the secretions of a patient with nongonococcal urethritis. Further research has shown that most people who are sexually active are carriers of ureaplasma. However, it is not at all necessary that they will have any external signs of infection. Ureaplasma can remain in the human body for years and even decades and not manifest itself in any way.Ureaplasma is a tiny bacterium, which in the microbiological hierarchy occupies an intermediate position between viruses and single-celled microorganisms. Due to the multilayer outer membrane that surrounds the bacterium on all sides, it is very difficult to detect under a microscope.
In total, five varieties of ureaplasma are known, but only two of its types are dangerous to humans - Ureaplasma urealyticum and Ureaplasma parvum. They are the ones who have a special weakness for epithelial cells located in the genitourinary tract. Ureaplasma is almost never found in other parts of the body.
By the way, the closest “relative” of ureaplasma is mycoplasma. Due to the great similarity in structure and preferences, both microorganisms are often colonized in the genital tract at the same time, and then doctors talk about mixed infections, i.e. diseases caused by mixed microflora.
Where does ureaplasma come from?
Normally, a huge number of microorganisms live in the human genitourinary tract, and all of them, to one degree or another, take part in maintaining the cleanliness of the vagina or urethra. As long as immunity is at the proper level, microorganisms do not pose a danger. But as soon as the body’s resistance decreases, the microflora of the genital tract is disrupted, some microorganisms begin to multiply rapidly, and then they become dangerous to human health. The situation is exactly the same with ureaplasma. Many people live with it for a long time and do not even realize that they are carriers of this bacterium. It is most often discovered by chance, when the patient consults a doctor for some completely different reason, and sometimes simply out of curiosity. For a full examination, the doctor sends smears to the laboratory. And this is where the fun begins. The analysis reveals ureaplasma, and the patient is immediately treated. And even the fact that a person has no complaints does not stop some doctors from taking active steps aimed at “expelling” the microbe from the human body.
The main argument in favor of urgent treatment is that in the absence of it, a man or woman will (possibly!) suffer from infertility, and the likelihood of giving birth or conceiving a child will become zero. And a long battle with ureaplasma begins. Carriers undergo multiple courses of drug treatment, which leads to many side effects. They, in turn, are often attributed to the manifestation of other hidden infections, etc. This can be many years of, and, unfortunately, useless running around in a vicious circle.
By the way, foreign specialists have long stopped treating ureaplasma as an absolute evil. They do not refute the fact that a microorganism can cause disease, but only in cases where the biocenosis in the genital tract is disrupted and the acidic environment characteristic of a healthy person has changed to alkaline. In other cases, ureaplasma should be considered as a conditionally dangerous cohabitant, and nothing more. Taking care of your health, a well-ordered sex life, proper nutrition and physical activity are the key to well-being in the genitourinary area.
After many years of scientific discussions, it was decided that only those people who have symptoms and complaints from the urogenital tract need treatment, and the presence of other pathogens is excluded. In other cases, no active influence on the microflora is required.
What does it mean? For example, a patient comes to the doctor with complaints of frequent cystitis (inflammation of the bladder). The doctor prescribes a series of tests aimed at identifying the cause of the disease. If studies have not revealed any other pathogens, then ureaplasma, and sometimes mycoplasma, is considered the root cause of the disease. In this situation, targeted treatment of ureaplasma is really necessary. If there are no complaints from the patient, then the prescription of any treatment remains at the discretion of the doctor.
There is still a lot of debate about the involvement of ureaplasma in secondary infertility, miscarriage, polyhydramnios and premature birth. Today, this issue remains debatable, because not a single specialist has been able to reliably confirm the guilt of ureaplasma in these pathologies. Of course, if you need to identify ureaplasma in the genitourinary tract, then this is quite simple to do. As stated above, the carrier of this microorganism is the sexually active population, and therefore, if desired (or necessary), it is not difficult to sow ureaplasma.
Some researchers still try to prove the pathogenicity of ureaplasma, using as arguments its frequent presence in diseases such as urethritis, vaginitis, salpingitis, oophoritis, endometritis, adnexitis, etc. However, in most cases, treatment aimed only at eliminating ureaplasma does not give a positive result. From here we can draw a completely logical conclusion - the cause of inflammation of the pelvic organs is a different, more aggressive flora.
How can you become infected with ureaplasma?
Ureaplasma is very unstable in the environment and dies very quickly outside the human body. Therefore, it is almost impossible to become infected in public places, for example, saunas, baths, swimming pools, public restrooms.For infection, close contact with a carrier of ureaplasmosis is necessary. Infection is most likely to occur during sexual intercourse, which one - oral, genital or anal - does not matter significantly. However, it is known that slightly different ureaplasmas live in the oral cavity and rectum, which are dangerous to humans in much rarer cases.
The detection of ureaplasma in one of the sexual partners is not a fact of treason, because a person could have become infected many years ago, and sometimes during fetal development, or during childbirth from his own carrier mother. By the way, another conclusion follows from this - the infection can be detected even in infants.
Some people believe that ureaplasma is a “bad” sexually transmitted infection. This is fundamentally incorrect; ureaplasma itself does not cause sexually transmitted diseases, but it can accompany them quite often. It has been proven that the combination of ureaplasma with Trichomonas, gonococcus, and chlamydia really poses a serious danger to the genitourinary system. In these cases, inflammation develops, which almost always has external manifestations and requires immediate treatment.
How is ureaplasmosis treated?
Strictly speaking, such a disease as ureaplasmosis does not exist in the international classification of diseases. As a result, we will talk about what drugs ureaplasma bacteria are sensitive to. Antibiotics against ureaplasma
All microorganisms are “afraid” of antibiotics to one degree or another, and ureaplasma in this case is no exception. Unfortunately, not every antibacterial agent is able to suppress the activity of bacteria, because Ureaplasma lacks a cell wall. Drugs such as penicillin or cephalosporins have virtually no beneficial effect. The most effective antibiotics are those that can affect the synthesis of protein and DNA in the microbial cell. Such drugs are tetracyclines, macrolides, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, Levomycetin.The best indicators for ureaplasma infection are Doxycycline, Clarithromycin, and in the case of ureaplasma infection in a pregnant woman, Josamycin. These antibiotics, even in minimal doses, can suppress the growth of bacteria. As for other antibacterial drugs, they are used only if ureaplasma is sensitive to them, which is determined during a microbiological study.
Indications for treatment
To prescribe antibacterial treatment, at least one of the following conditions must be present:- The presence of obvious symptoms and convincing laboratory signs of inflammation of the genitourinary system.
- Laboratory confirmation of the presence of ureaplasma (ureaplasma titer must be at least 104 CFU/ml).
- Upcoming surgery on the pelvic organs. In this case, antibiotics are prescribed for prophylactic purposes.
- Secondary infertility, provided that other possible causes are completely excluded.
- Repeated complications during pregnancy or recurrent miscarriage.
Drugs affecting ureaplasma
There is an opinion among some doctors that the growth of ureaplasma can be suppressed with a single dose of Azithromycin in the amount of 1 g. Indeed, the instructions for the drug and medical recommendations for the treatment of sexually transmitted infections indicate that Azithromycin effectively affects non-gonococcal and chlamydial urethritis nature in men and chlamydial cervicitis in women. However, numerous studies have proven that after Azithromycin taken in such a dosage, the destruction of ureaplasma does not occur at all. But taking the same drug for 7-14 days is almost guaranteed to get rid of the infection.Doxycycline and its analogues - Vibramycin, Medomycin, Abadox, Biocyclinde, Unidox Solutab - are recommended drugs for the treatment of ureaplasma infection. These drugs are convenient because they need to be taken orally only 1-2 times a day for 7-10 days. A single dose of the drug is 100 mg, i.e. 1 tablet or capsule. It must be borne in mind that on the first day of treatment the patient must take double the amount of medication.
The best results from taking Doxycycline were obtained in the treatment of infertility due to ureaplasmosis. After the treatment course, in 40-50% of cases, a long-awaited pregnancy occurred, which proceeded without complications and ended successfully in childbirth.
Despite this high effectiveness of the drug, some strains of ureaplasma remain insensitive to Doxycycline and its analogues. In addition, these drugs cannot be used in the treatment of pregnant women and children under 8 years of age. It is also worth noting quite frequent side effects, primarily on the part of the digestive system and skin.
In this regard, the doctor may use other drugs, for example, from the group of macrolides, lincosamines or streptogramins. Clarithromycin (Klabax, Klacid) and Josamycin (Vilprafen) have proven themselves to be the best.
Clarithromycin does not have any negative effects on the gastrointestinal tract and can therefore be taken with or without food. Another advantage of the drug is its gradual accumulation in cells and tissues. Thanks to this, its effect continues for some time after the end of the course of treatment, and the likelihood of reactivation of the infection sharply decreases. Clarithromycin is prescribed 1 tablet twice a day, the course of treatment is 7-14 days. During pregnancy and children under 12 years of age, the drug is contraindicated; in this case, it is replaced with Josamycin.
Josamycin belongs to the group of macrolides and is able to suppress protein synthesis in ureaplasma. Its effective single dosage is 500 mg (1 tablet). The drug is taken 3 times a day for 10-14 days. Josamycin has the ability to accumulate, so at first it has a depressing effect on ureaplasma, preventing its reproduction, and upon reaching a certain concentration in the cells it begins to have a bactericidal effect, i.e. leads to the final death of the infection.
Josamycin practically does not cause side effects and can be prescribed even to pregnant women and children under 12 years of age, including infants. In this case, only the form of the drug is changed; not a tablet drug is used, but a suspension for oral administration. After such treatment, the threat of miscarriage, spontaneous abortions and cases of polyhydramnios are reduced by three times.
In cases where the development of ureaplasma inflammation in the urogenital tract occurs against the background of reduced immunity, antibacterial agents are combined with immunomodulatory drugs (Immunomax). Thus, the body’s resistance increases and the infection is more quickly destroyed. Immunomax is prescribed according to the regimen simultaneously with taking antibiotics. A single dose of the drug is 200 units, it is administered intramuscularly on days 1-3 and 8-10 of antibacterial treatment - a total of 6 injections per course. It is also possible to take tableted immunomodulatory drugs - Echinacea-Ratiopharm and Immunoplus. They have a similar effect, but are taken 1 tablet daily during the entire course of antibacterial treatment. At the end of such combined treatment, in almost 90% of cases, ureaplasma goes away irrevocably.
Naturally, if, in addition to ureaplasma, another pathology of the genitourinary tract was found, then additional treatment aimed at eliminating concomitant diseases may be required.
When to treat ureaplasma - video
Conclusion
As a summary, I would like to emphasize the following: ureaplasma is transmitted mainly through sexual contact with a bacteria carrier or a sick person. Moreover, his infection could occur at any time period of life, starting from the moment of birth.Ureaplasma affects the epithelial cells of the genitourinary system and tends not to manifest itself for a long time. With a decrease in immunity, hormonal imbalances, malnutrition, frequent stress, hypothermia, the likelihood of activation of ureaplasma increases with the development of symptoms characteristic of inflammation of the vagina or urethra.
Ureaplasmas are opportunistic bacteria that are part of the microflora of the mucous membrane of the genital organs and urinary tract. The disease caused by these microorganisms is called ureaplasmosis. Pathological growth of bacteria occurs when the immune system is severely weakened; in healthy people, the disease may not show any symptoms for years.
How is ureaplasma transmitted and who is at risk? Adults become infected during unprotected sexual intercourse. This disease cannot be transmitted through household contact. People with strong immunity infected with ureaplasmosis do not have clinical manifestations, but are carriers of the disease and infect their sexual partner.
It is possible that infants from a sick mother may be infected vertically. In some cases, intrauterine infection occurs, which can cause premature birth, placental insufficiency, and miscarriage. Children are born with low birth weight, various defects of internal organs, neonatal pneumonia, meningitis, and developmental delays. A high titer of ureaplasma in children disappears during the first three months of life.
How is ureaplasmosis transmitted, can you get infected during oral sex? The bacteria are found in small numbers in the mouth and throat, but there is no direct evidence that they cause ureaplasmosis. The infection can be transmitted from an infected partner to a healthy partner through unprotected anal sex. In rare cases, infection occurs during organ transplantation.
Research by scientists confirms that women and men who have two or more sexual partners during the year are much more likely to be diagnosed with ureaplasmosis than monogamous married couples.
The main risk factors for infection include:
- early onset of sexual activity (before 17 years of age);
- unprotected sexual contacts;
- promiscuous intimate relationships;
- frequent change of partners;
- bad habits;
- concomitant sexually transmitted infections;
- hormonal imbalance;
- pregnancy;
- the presence of chronic diseases of the genital organs;
- recent venereal diseases.
Since the main route of infection is sexual intercourse, infection can be prevented by using a condom.
Causes of exacerbation of the disease
In healthy people, ureaplasma lives in small quantities and does not cause concern, but if there is a malfunction in the body’s defense system or hormonal imbalance, the bacteria begin to grow and multiply rapidly, affecting the reproductive organs and the urinary system.
In men, symptoms of ureaplasmosis begin to appear gradually 3–5 days after infection. First, urination becomes more frequent, a burning sensation in the urethral area is disturbing, and light mucous discharge appears in the urine. After a few days, the symptoms of the disease disappear without any treatment, but can periodically recur.
In women, sexually transmitted ureaplasmosis is manifested by clear vaginal discharge; with a mixed type of infection, the secretion may be yellow or greenish in color and have an unpleasant odor. Like men, the urge to go to the toilet becomes more frequent, urination is accompanied by cutting, burning, and body temperature rises for no apparent reason. An inflammatory process may occur, accompanied by acute pain in the lower abdomen, lower back, discomfort during sexual intercourse, and purulent discharge.
Bacteria can cause inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis), epididymitis, and deteriorate the quality of seminal fluid, which often leads to male infertility. Ureaplasmosis is complicated by rheumatoid arthritis, damage to the urinary system - urethritis, pyelonephritis, stones in the bladder and kidneys.
Infection of men with ureaplasma leads to decreased motility and a decrease in the number of sperm, the ejaculate acquires a viscous consistency. Epididymitis is manifested by hardening and enlargement of the testicle, but there is no pain.
This disease in women is complicated by exacerbations during childbirth, increases the risk of fetal and neonatal infection, ectopic pregnancy, cervical neoplasia, postpartum complications (endometritis). The mixed type of infection causes the development of bacterial vaginosis, acute urethral syndrome, characterized by urinary incontinence. Ureaplasma provokes an exacerbation of human papillomavirus infection; growths appear on the cervix, which can develop into a malignant tumor.
Diagnostic methods
To detect ureaplasma in smears, the following tests are performed:
- PCR – polymer chain reaction.
- ELISA – enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
- RNIF – indirect immunofluorescence reaction.
- RDIF – direct immunofluorescence reaction.
Based on the test results, the titer of bacteria content in the biomaterial is determined. Additionally, bacteriological culture may be required to select an antibiotic to which microorganisms are sensitive. Women during pregnancy and at the stage of family planning are recommended to undergo testing for carriage of ureaplasma, especially if there is a history of miscarriage and fetal death.
There is a diagnosis of ureaplasma positivity - this is a carriage of the infection that is asymptomatic. Positivity can be transitive (temporary), lasting from several days to several weeks. Persistent carriage is observed for years or persists for life. Such people can infect their partners; from pregnant women, bacteria are transmitted to the fetus in utero and during passage through the birth canal. When immunity is weakened, ureaplasmosis and other severe complications develop.
With an asymptomatic course of the disease, it is not enough just to identify the pathogen in the microflora. The doctor performs a bimanual examination of the vagina, ultrasound of the uterus and appendages, biochemical analysis of urine and blood. In men, an external examination of the genital organs, rectal and instrumental examination of the prostate gland and seminal fluid are performed.
Treatment of the disease
Therapy is prescribed to people with an increased titer of ureaplasma in the blood during family planning, in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy, in the presence of complications from the genitourinary system, and with a mixed type of infection. In case of carriage, the question of the advisability of prescribing treatment is decided by the doctor.
Therapy is carried out with macrolide or quinolone antibiotics. Additionally, immunomodulators, physiotherapeutic procedures, and symptomatic measures are prescribed. After completing the course of treatment, it is necessary to monitor the patient for 3 months. In case of relapse, bacteriological culture is performed to select an active antibiotic.
Ureaplasmosis is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. In most cases, carriers of the disease are women of reproductive age, since the body of the fairer sex is subject to frequent hormonal changes. In patients, the disease is asymptomatic for a long time, but the possibility of infecting a sexual partner remains.
We often hear the question of what ureaplasmosis is and how one can become infected with ureaplasma. Ureaplasmosis, or mycoplasmosis, is transmitted mainly through sexual contact (others are less common). It is caused by the bacteria Mycoplasma. The name ureaplasmosis was given to the pathological process because some mycoplasmas can break down urea (ureolysis). More than half of women are infected with Ureaplasma; self-healing is possible in men.
Ureoplasma is a conditionally pathogenic flora, that is, for some, ureaplasmosis is a disease, but for others it is simply a carrier state. The following transmission routes are possible:
- sexual;
- household (through personal hygiene items);
- intrauterine.
The usual habitat of ureaplasma is the prostate. Most often it does not cause any discomfort. As a rule, a man is not aware of this carrier state. During sex, mycoplasma can enter a woman's genital tract. After this, it begins to multiply vigorously, causing an inflammatory process.
The microorganism is extremely rarely transmitted through household means. This occurs through towels, washcloths and other personal belongings of the wearer.
There are cases where an expectant mother becomes infected herself and then infects her unborn child. The possibility of infection of the embryo increases with the duration of pregnancy. But is it true that an infected person can simply kiss another person and ureaplasma will enter his body? If the kiss was related, then the pathogen will not get into the oral cavity.
After ureaplasma has entered the body, the pathogen begins to multiply with extraordinary force. After an asymptomatic period, the first signs of the inflammatory process appear. In men it manifests itself as urethritis:
- Burning and even pain during urination;
- Discharge from the urethra in the morning;
- Signs of general malaise.
Women are concerned about:
- Itching and burning in the vulva and vagina;
- Vaginal discharge;
- Pain in the lower abdomen;
- Fever.
Often ureaplasmosis occurs without any symptoms. The infected person may not even realize that this uninvited guest has taken up residence in his body. Even if there are no signs of the disease, many women with ureaplasmosis are found to have adnexitis, inflammation of the appendages. These processes often end in adhesions, which lead to tubal obstruction, which in turn leads to infertility. In most cases, the disease occurs without any symptoms in both sexes; those infected may not be aware of the infection. Often the urinary tract becomes inflamed in the presence of ureaplasma, and stones often form.
Ureaplasmosis in men is often complicated by prostatitis and orchiepididymitis, which can also cause the inability to have children. Long-term urethritis can lead to disastrous consequences. PCR and bacteriological culture are used for diagnosis. PIF and ELISA are often used, but they are not highly accurate.
Diseases caused by mycoplasma are classified as sexually transmitted infections. For some, this microorganism can be found in the genital tract without causing disease. During coitus with a carrier of ureaplasmosis, the pathogen penetrates the genital tract of the sexual partner. Ureaplasma cannot penetrate through a condom. Transmission is possible through a kiss, if the integrity of the mucous membrane is broken, or during oral sex. That is, transmission of the pathogen through saliva is possible. But more often people become infected through sexual contact.
The incubation period for ureaplasmosis can vary individually, but on average lasts up to a month.
After this period, symptoms of inflammation usually appear, that is, vulvaginitis in women and urethritis in men. This process is expressed in itching, copious discharge, and in advanced forms - painful urination.
The next scenario can develop like this: the microorganism gets on the genitals, but no inflammation occurs and, in general, does not bother. These people are carriers of ureaplasmosis. In this case, the person himself does not get sick, but can transmit the infection to his subsequent sexual partners. If ureaplasma is detected in both sexual partners, but the disease has not developed, treatment is not prescribed.
It is possible that a patient who is only a carrier for a long time may become ill under unfavorable circumstances. Provoking factors can be acute viral infections, severe emotional shocks, heavy physical activity, acute inflammation in the body, which weaken the body’s immune system and lead to damage to the mucous membranes. Ureaplasma begins to rapidly divide, which ends in illness.
The mucous membrane of the urinary and genital organs is disrupted under various circumstances, including medical procedures and infection with other infectious pathogens. In this case, the integrity of the mucous membranes is disrupted and becomes vulnerable to ureaplasma. For this reason, ureaplasma is often found in those infected with trichomoniasis, chlamydia infection. Re-infection is possible if one partner is cured and the other is not.
We often hear that infection with ureaplasma from mother to fetus is possible. Infection of a fetus from a sick mother is quite rare, but such infection is still possible. The microorganism rarely enters the uterus, since nature has taken serious care of its protection. But still, intrauterine infection rarely occurs. In this case, the pathogen enters the woman’s genital tract, and then into the uterus. This is an ascending route of infection. It can also reach the fetus through the bloodstream, which reaches it through the maternal placenta.
If the infection enters the fetus through the membranes and amniotic fluid, the pathogen enters its respiratory organs and causes pneumonia. Infection of the embryo through the blood leads to abnormalities in the development of organs and systems of the fetus. It is possible that the microorganism will not reach the fetus during pregnancy. Pregnancy may proceed normally, but the pathogen will enter the newborn’s body during childbirth, which will lead to the development of various pathologies. Ureaplasma is also unsafe for the expectant mother herself, because at this time the woman’s immunity is seriously weakened. From carriage, the process can turn into disease when both the genital and urinary tracts become inflamed. Miscarriages or premature births cannot be ruled out.
From the above, we can conclude that infection with ureaplasma is dangerous not only for the fetus, but also for the expectant mother herself. Therefore, be examined for the presence of this microorganism in the body even before the planned pregnancy. If it is detected during examination, both future parents should be treated. It is especially important to protect yourself from infection during pregnancy. For this purpose, you should not use other people’s things, avoid extramarital sex, and use a condom during sexual intercourse.
Is it possible to become infected with ureaplasma through household means? A domestic route of infection cannot be ruled out, but now a number of experts are questioning it. It is believed that infection occurs through the personal belongings of an infected person, that is, using the same towel or washcloth. Other personal items are even less likely to cause infection. It is almost impossible to become infected in a pond, bathhouse or swimming pool. There is an opinion that one can become infected during tissue and organ transplantation. But such cases are very rare, since all material is seriously examined before transplantation.
Treatment
Ureaplasmosis is treated with antibacterial therapy. The doctor prescribes treatment after diagnosis and medical history. Treatment of this pathology is quite lengthy; combination antibiotic therapy is used. In addition, physiotherapeutic procedures, drugs that increase immunity, instillations (drip administration of drug solutions) into the urethra, and vitamin therapy are prescribed. You can completely recover from ureaplasma. But you should not self-medicate.
Ureaplasmosis occurs when a person is infected with ureaplasma. They are mainly infected through sexual intercourse, but it is possible to become infected through a kiss or oral sex.
It can cause inflammation in the genitourinary area, urolithiasis, and lead to infertility. But not everyone gets this disease: some people never show any signs of the disease, but they can infect others. The pathogen does not penetrate through the condom. Ureaplasma must be treated, as it can become active during times of weakened immunity, hypothermia, stress, and during pregnancy, when there is a risk of infection of the fetus. During pregnancy, it is advisable for a woman to be examined several times for carriage of this microorganism, because infection is possible during pregnancy.
Infections attack the human body from different sides. The human reproductive system is especially often endangered. Such diseases can occur in both men and women, and they can become infected from each other.
Infectious sexually transmitted diseases have very unpleasant and painful symptoms, so you need to look for ways to protect yourself from them.
Ureaplasmosis is considered one of these diseases. It is caused by a bacterium that lives in women's bodies, but does not cause any problems under normal conditions. However, when exposed to certain factors, ureaplasma can cause serious illness. There are several ways to get this infection. How is ureaplasma transmitted?
What is ureaplasma?
Ureaplasma is a specific bacterium that lives in the mucous membrane of a woman’s genitourinary organs.
It is considered a type of mycoplasma, and in the body it can exist in three forms:
- Spezies;
- Parvum;
- Urealiticum.
All these types differ in origin, but have the same effect on the body. Ureaplasma is an opportunistic bacterium, since it can live in the body of an absolutely healthy person and not cause any harm.
However, with the acute form of ureaplasmosis, serious complications occur.
Ureaplasma is an intracellular microorganism; it does not have a clear membrane, so it easily attaches to the cells of the mucous membranes. There is an opinion that ureaplasmosis can develop only in women. However, it can be transmitted to men and cause unpleasant symptoms in a new body.
Symptoms of the disease
The first stages of the disease are characterized by asymptomatic symptoms. Bacteria actively affect the body from the inside, killing the human immune system. The first signs can be noticed only in the later stages, when ureaplasmosis develops into a chronic form and is very difficult to treat.
Symptoms of the disease in women differ from signs of the development of this disease in men. In the fair half of humanity, ureaplasma is of a specific nature due to the characteristics of the microflora of the genital organs. After contracting the infection and its activation, the first symptoms can be noticed approximately on the twentieth day.
Key symptoms of female ureaplasmosis:
- Aching pain in the lower abdomen;
- Copious colorless vaginal discharge;
- Pain and discomfort during sex;
- Increased body temperature (in rare cases).
A man can only become infected from a woman. Ureaplasma is transmitted mainly during unprotected sexual intercourse. The bacterium can live in a man’s body for several months and not manifest itself in any way. However, after prolonged illness, the infection begins to intensify and provoke serious male diseases, for example, urethritis.
The main symptoms of ureaplasma in men:
- Burning during urination;
- Discomfort in the perineum, severe itching;
- Transparent mucous discharge from the penis;
- Increased body temperature (rare).
Routes of infection with ureaplasma
A woman may not know that she is a source of infection and may pass it on to her partner during sexual intercourse. For diagnosis, you need to take special tests, but they are required only for pregnant women or women planning pregnancy. Therefore, the main way to protect against infection is a condom. Using it during sexual intercourse will protect a man from infection.
It is especially important to use a condom during casual sex. Women who have two or more sexual partners and are promiscuous are at risk.
Sex is considered the main way to contract the infection. Moreover, scientists have proven that ureaplasma is transmitted not only through normal sex, but also through oral and anal sex. True, during anal sex the infection rate is no more than 50%. With oral sex, the chances are even lower - about 30%. In the case of normal sexual intercourse, bacteria from the mucous membrane of the female genital organs move to the mucous membrane of the male penis and quickly coexist there.
Symptoms sometimes depend on the route of infection, for example, during anal intercourse, inflammation of the rectum and other organs of the lower pelvis occurs. After infection through the oral route, a sore throat and laryngitis can be observed, and in an acute form. Urethritis, which is characteristic of men, is transmitted to women under the influence of bacteria during oral sex.
Many people are interested in the question: is infection transmitted through a kiss? Doctors have differing opinions on this matter. Some believe that since ureaplasma does not live in saliva, infection through kissing is impossible.
However, if there was oral intercourse before the kiss, then such a danger exists. In addition, sexual bacteria in the oral cavity can cause various diseases of this organ.
Non-sexual routes of infection
Scientists are actively studying ureaplasma, because in recent years it has been demonstrating its activity. The main questions about this disease include additional routes of transmission.
Pregnancy and childbirth are considered the first place for non-sexual transmission of infection. A mother with ureaplasmosis can infect her child during pregnancy and childbirth. The danger is especially great in the first trimester, when the placenta is not yet very thick and strong. The second critical moment is the third trimester, when a woman’s immunity is especially weakened and defenseless against infection attacks.
During childbirth, when there is particularly close contact of the child with the mucous membrane of the genital organs of the mother, an infection can be transmitted to the newborn.
That is why, during pregnancy planning, gynecologists advise taking tests for ureaplasma and, if the result is positive, begin its treatment.
There is an opinion that ureaplasma is transmitted through blood transfusion or organ transplantation. However, today all donor materials undergo special testing, which does not allow any foreign bacteria. Therefore, this transmission route can be considered obsolete.
Many people are interested in whether this infection can be transmitted through household contact. Doctors express doubts about this. This possibility can occur when using one towel, shared underwear or bed linen, or personal hygiene products. And although this path is practically unproven, in order to avoid infection with other infections it is worth following the rules of personal hygiene.
This infection is not transmitted when swimming in a pool, taking a public shower, on public transport, or using a public toilet. These bacteria can only live for a few minutes outside the body, so direct contact of mucous membranes is required for infection.
Factors provoking the disease
As mentioned above, ureaplasma lives in a woman’s body for many years and does not cause any harm.
Content
The diagnosis of ureaplasmosis is made when the concentration of bacteria in the human body exceeds the permissible threshold. The proliferation of microorganisms is enhanced by female sex hormones during the period of hormonal changes, so women suffer from it more often. Ureaplasma is transmitted primarily through sexual contact, but there are other routes of infection.
What is ureaplasma
Before you become interested in how ureaplasma is transmitted, you should find out in more detail what the disease is. The habitat of the bacterium is the mucous membranes of the genitourinary system. Ureaplasma spices, parvum and urealiticum are called opportunistic, because it is located in the body in absolutely healthy people, being a type of mycoplasma.
Symptoms
Signs of ureaplasmosis begin with a long-term inflammatory process. Its characteristic feature is an asymptomatic course, so people often turn to doctors at a late stage, when the immune system is weakened. This is a dangerous stage, when the disease has already become chronic and it is very difficult to treat the disease. Symptoms of ureaplasma parvum (urealyticum) occur differently in men and women.
Among women
The first signs of the disease in the fair half of humanity appear only on the 19th day after contracting the infection. At the same time, ureaplasma in women is nonspecific, which creates difficulties for the doctor when making a diagnosis. The main symptoms of the disease include:
- pain in the abdomen;
- colorless vaginal discharge;
- increased body temperature (sometimes);
- discomfort during sex.
In men
If a man is infected and does not know how the ureaplasma bacterium is transmitted, the total duration of the period without symptoms can reach five weeks. In many cases, the disease proceeds latently, and due to the lack of therapy, it acquires a chronic form of ureaplasma urethritis, which is very difficult to cure. Ureaplasma appears in men after long-term illnesses, emotional overload, hypothermia, or when the immune system is weakened. The main symptoms of male ureaplasmosis:
- discomfort in the perineum, groin area;
- the appearance of transparent discharge from the genitourinary organs;
- burning, itching during urination;
- slight increase in temperature.
Causes of ureaplasmosis
Ureaplasma is transmitted through sexual and domestic contact. The cause of infection can be any intervention in the human bioflora that can disrupt the norm. For example, antibiotics destroy not only pathogens, but also bacteria beneficial to the body, which are replaced by pathogenic microflora. By taking any medications uncontrollably, you risk contracting ureaplasma. Other causes of ureaplasmosis include:
- Sexual intercourse.
- Early sexual intercourse.
- Imbalance in nutrition.
- Avitaminosis.
- Nervous stress.
- Alcohol abuse.
- Physical overload.
- Environmental factors.
How do you get infected with ureaplasma?
Even when a man knows how ureaplasma disease is transmitted and follows safety precautions, he can become infected from his pregnant wife. Indeed, during this period, a woman’s immunity decreases, so the vaginal microflora changes. Pregnancy and ureaplasma are always a hot topic; there is a whole combination of diagnostic methods and prescribing medications.
Analysis for the occurrence of infection in pregnant women is carried out according to the bacterial culture scheme (smears from the urethral mucosa), by examining urine and blood, and by the PCR (polymer chain reaction) method, when it is necessary to take samples from the urethra, cervix, and vagina. If the pathogen is detected too late, there is a risk of infection of the child from the mother.
Is ureaplasma transmitted?
Transmission of ureaplasmosis occurs through casual sexual contact when a condom is not used. The disease is often diagnosed in people who have two or more sexual partners, as well as those who have an active sex life. Recent studies have shown that there is a percentage of infection of both partners during anal and oral contact.
Orally through saliva or kiss
If oral sex (blowjob) did not occur before the kiss, then it is impossible to become infected with ureaplasma through the mouth. If before the kiss there was contact with the genitals, then the occurrence of diseases of the oral cavity is often noted: sore throat, laryngitis and others, the course of treatment of which is long, and the degree of manifestation of the disease is acute.
During oral sex
The consequences of oral sex for a man include the occurrence of non-gonococcal urethritis, when ureaplasma bacteria reach the penis during fellatio. The spread of the disease is so widespread that doctors note an increase in the number of cases by 5% every year. Women can get urethritis from unprotected oral sex.
Sexually
Ureaplasma prefers the mucous membranes of the genitals to live, so ureaplasmosis is transmitted mainly through sexual contact. Among the many diseases that the bacterium provokes, ureaplasmosis and infertility come first. To avoid trouble, use protective equipment during intercourse - the pathogen does not penetrate through the condom.
Video about the treatment of ureaplasma
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