New Sexually Transmitted Disease in UK

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   Hundreds of thousands could already be infected by new sexual disease
A new sexually transmitted disease could already have infected hundred of thousands of people, senior doctors have warned
By Agency
11:34PM GMT 12 Nov 2015
A new sexually transmitted infection (STI) could have infected hundreds of thousands of people in the UK, new research suggests.
Mycoplasma genitalium, known as MG, has very few symptoms but is now known to be passed on through sex.
An estimated 1 per cent of people in the UK aged 16 to 44 are thought to be affected.
MG has previously been identified as causing discharge, testicular pain, pelvic pain and bleeding after sex in women, although most people have no symptoms at all.
Scientists believe MG plays a role in pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility and ectopic pregnancy.
Nigel Field, consultant clinical epidemiologist at Public Health England (PHE), which worked on the new study, said it had found further evidence that MG is an STI.

''MG is a bacterium that was present in around 1 per cent of the general population aged 16 to 44 years, who had reported at least one sexual partner,'' he said.
''The study adds to the accumulating evidence-base that MG causes infection in some men and women, and the study found that women with MG were more likely to report bleeding after sexual activity.
''However, over 90 per cent of men and more than half of women with MG had no symptoms. It may be that MG does not cause illness in all individuals in whom the infection is detected.
''Laboratory testing for MG is not yet widely available in the UK.''
Stock photo: The new condoms use an antiviral nanotech compound called VivaGel to deactivate a range of STDs including HIV, herpes and human papilloma virus.   Photo: ALAMY
He said further research into the ''clinical consequences of MG infection'' are needed before work can begin on possible screening for the infection or steps to prevent it.
''PHE has recently established national surveillance to monitor diagnoses of MG from any clinics undertaking testing and will continue to gather public health data on MG to inform policy on infection control,'' he said.
''As for all STIs, prevention measures promoting increased condom use and a reduction in sexual risk behaviours are likely to play an important role in efforts to control MG.''
The new study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, found the rate of infection was much higher in those who reported more than four sexual partners in the past year
The majority of participants who tested positive for MG did not report any symptoms in the last month.
STD statistics
Over half of women did not report any symptoms, but among those who did, bleeding after sex was found to be the most common.
Dr Pam Sonnenberg, lead author of the paper, said: ''These findings suggest that only testing those who are currently symptomatic would miss the majority of infections.
''However, further research is needed to understand the clinical implications of infection and possible longer-term complications.''
Source:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/11991938/Hundreds-of-thousands-could-already-be-infected-by-new-sexual-disease.html
A quick note from me (Technophobe):  Mycoplasma are the family of diseases which include TB and leprosy.  Though this seems to be mostly asymptomatic, mycoplasmic infections are notoriously difficult to treat.

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Technophobe Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450	Post Options Post Reply Quote Technophobe Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: New Sexually Transmitted Disease in UK Posted: November 13 2015 at 3:37am
	Hundreds of thousands could already be infected by new sexual disease A new sexually transmitted disease could already have infected hundred of thousands of people, senior doctors have warned By Agency 11:34PM GMT 12 Nov 2015 A new sexually transmitted infection (STI) could have infected hundreds of thousands of people in the UK, new research suggests. Mycoplasma genitalium, known as MG, has very few symptoms but is now known to be passed on through sex. An estimated 1 per cent of people in the UK aged 16 to 44 are thought to be affected. MG has previously been identified as causing discharge, testicular pain, pelvic pain and bleeding after sex in women, although most people have no symptoms at all. Scientists believe MG plays a role in pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility and ectopic pregnancy. Nigel Field, consultant clinical epidemiologist at Public Health England (PHE), which worked on the new study, said it had found further evidence that MG is an STI. ''MG is a bacterium that was present in around 1 per cent of the general population aged 16 to 44 years, who had reported at least one sexual partner,'' he said. ''The study adds to the accumulating evidence-base that MG causes infection in some men and women, and the study found that women with MG were more likely to report bleeding after sexual activity. ''However, over 90 per cent of men and more than half of women with MG had no symptoms. It may be that MG does not cause illness in all individuals in whom the infection is detected. ''Laboratory testing for MG is not yet widely available in the UK.'' Stock photo: The new condoms use an antiviral nanotech compound called VivaGel to deactivate a range of STDs including HIV, herpes and human papilloma virus. Photo: ALAMY He said further research into the ''clinical consequences of MG infection'' are needed before work can begin on possible screening for the infection or steps to prevent it. ''PHE has recently established national surveillance to monitor diagnoses of MG from any clinics undertaking testing and will continue to gather public health data on MG to inform policy on infection control,'' he said. ''As for all STIs, prevention measures promoting increased condom use and a reduction in sexual risk behaviours are likely to play an important role in efforts to control MG.'' The new study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, found the rate of infection was much higher in those who reported more than four sexual partners in the past year The majority of participants who tested positive for MG did not report any symptoms in the last month. STD statistics Over half of women did not report any symptoms, but among those who did, bleeding after sex was found to be the most common. Dr Pam Sonnenberg, lead author of the paper, said: ''These findings suggest that only testing those who are currently symptomatic would miss the majority of infections. ''However, further research is needed to understand the clinical implications of infection and possible longer-term complications.'' Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/11991938/Hundreds-of-thousands-could-already-be-infected-by-new-sexual-disease.html A quick note from me (Technophobe): Mycoplasma are the family of diseases which include TB and leprosy. Though this seems to be mostly asymptomatic, mycoplasmic infections are notoriously difficult to treat.
	How do you tell if a politician is lying? His lips or pen are moving.

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	https://cdn.rt.com/s/2015.11/original/564c92bec46188160e8b458b.jpg 1 in 5 HIV-positive Britons unaware they are infected, says Public Health England. An estimated 18,100 people in the UK are unknowingly living with HIV, Public Health England (PHE) said as it launched the first nationally available HIV home-testing kit. In a report released Wednesday, PHE found 103,700 Britons are living with the condition. “Overall, the number of people living with HIV in the UK continues to increase and the number living with undiagnosed HIV remains high,” the report said. According to PHE, vast strides have been made in HIV treatment and those diagnosed early can have a life expectancy almost as long as those who do not have the virus. However, some 40 percent of people are “diagnosed at a late stage of infection, undermining the benefits of effective therapy, and demonstrating the need for expanded testing,” PHE said. The testing kit, which consists of three finger-prick tests to collect blood samples, can now be ordered online. The samples are then sent away for analysis in a prepaid envelope. https://www.rt.com/uk/322586-hiv-aids-test-diagnosis/

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	AIDS Becomes Second Leading Cause for Adolescent Deaths Globally Youth deaths from the HIV virus have tripled since 2000 and represent the second leading cause of death for minors world-wide, according to statistics released by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Friday. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — UNICEF explained that many of the adolescents contracted the disease as infants about 15 years ago, when HIV-positive women had less access to treatment to prevent the disease from spreading. Karma Wins: Competitor Offers $1 AIDS Drug After Pharma Company’s 5000% Price Hike "AIDS is the number one cause of death among adolescents in Africa and the second leading cause of death among adolescents globally," UNICEF said. "Among HIV-affected populations, adolescents are the only group for which the mortality figures are not decreasing." Since 2000, however, about 1.3 million new HIV infections among children have been prevented due to better mother-to-child prevention methods. Obama Announces US Initiatives for First 'AIDS-Free Generation' A critical element in stopping the spread of the disease is to enable HIV-positive youths access to treatment, care and support, UNICEF’s global HIV/AIDS programs head Craig McClure said. "At the same time, those who are HIV-negative must have access to the knowledge and means to help them to stay that way," McClure noted. At present, less than half of all children under the age of two have been tested for HIV, and out of the 2.6 million HIV-positive children under the age of 15 only one in three are receiving treatment, according to UNICEF.