You’ve been treated for bacterial vaginosis. Then a yeast infection. Then BV again. Each time the symptoms ease, and a few weeks later they’re back. If this sounds familiar, one question worth asking is whether anyone has tested you for ureaplasma.
Most urgent cares and many doctors’ offices don’t. This article explains what ureaplasma is, why it’s so often missed, when testing makes sense, and how we test and treat vaginal infections at Yunella Women’s Health in Los Angeles.
What Is Ureaplasma?
Ureaplasma is a type of very small bacteria that can live in the genital and urinary tract. There are two main species, Ureaplasma parvum and Ureaplasma urealyticum. It’s closely related to Mycoplasma hominis, and the three are often tested together.
Ureaplasma is common. Many women carry it without any symptoms or problems, a state doctors call colonization. But when it overgrows, or occurs alongside an imbalance of vaginal bacteria, it can contribute to symptoms that keep coming back.
Is Ureaplasma an STI?
Not in the usual sense. Ureaplasma can pass between partners during sex, but it isn’t classified as a sexually transmitted infection the way chlamydia or gonorrhea are. A positive result doesn’t mean anyone was unfaithful. Either partner may have carried it for years without knowing.
Don’t confuse it with Mycoplasma genitalium. Despite the similar name, M. genitalium is a sexually transmitted infection and is treated differently.
Why Don’t Most Offices Test for Ureaplasma?
When you visit an urgent care or a general office with discharge, odor or irritation, you’ll usually be tested for the most common causes: bacterial vaginosis (BV), an imbalance of vaginal bacteria; yeast; and sometimes trichomoniasis, chlamydia and gonorrhea. Ureaplasma is rarely on that list, for a few reasons:
- Standard tests can’t detect it. The quick in-office checks, such as looking at a sample under a microscope, testing vaginal pH, or routine cultures, can’t see ureaplasma. It’s too small, and it doesn’t grow on the lab plates used for most bacteria. Detecting it takes a specialized PCR test, which finds the bacteria’s genetic material.
- Guidelines don’t recommend routine screening. Because so many women carry ureaplasma harmlessly, the CDC doesn’t recommend testing everyone for it. That makes sense for a first visit, but it means ureaplasma often isn’t considered even when symptoms keep returning.
- Results can take days. PCR testing usually goes to an outside lab. For a busy urgent care, treating for BV or yeast right away is simpler.
The result: women with recurring symptoms can be treated for BV or yeast again and again without anyone checking whether something else is involved.
When Should You Get Tested?
We recommend testing especially when:
- Vaginal infections or symptoms keep coming back after treatment
- BV or yeast treatment helps only briefly, or not at all
- Standard tests come back normal, but you still have symptoms
- You have ongoing burning with urination or pelvic discomfort, but urine cultures and STI tests are negative
If you have no symptoms, a positive result usually doesn’t need treatment, because many healthy women carry ureaplasma harmlessly.
How Is Ureaplasma Tested at Yunella?
We use PCR testing through our lab partner, HealthTrackRx. It’s a simple swab collected during your visit. PCR is highly sensitive and can find organisms that standard tests miss.
Every time we test for vaginal symptoms, our panel checks for all of these from a single swab:
- Bacterial vaginosis: Gardnerella vaginalis and the other BV-associated bacteria (Fannyhessea vaginae, Megasphaera, BVAB2 and BVAB3, Mobiluncus)
- Yeast: Candida albicans plus less common species (C. glabrata, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis). Some of these don’t respond well to standard yeast treatment, which is one reason yeast infections keep coming back.
- Ureaplasma and mycoplasma: Ureaplasma parvum, Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis
- STIs: chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, Mycoplasma genitalium, and herpes simplex virus 1 and 2
That means you don’t have to be tested one condition at a time, and ureaplasma is never skipped because it wasn’t on the list.
Results usually come back the next day, so you’re not waiting a week wondering what’s wrong, and treatment can start quickly.
How Is Ureaplasma Treated?
If ureaplasma is found and you have symptoms, Dr. Kim treats it with antibiotics. The same test also checks for antibiotic resistance, the genes that make some bacteria harder to kill with certain drugs. Instead of guessing, Dr. Kim chooses an antibiotic based on your results, so the first treatment is more likely to work. This matters most for women whose infections have kept coming back.
During pregnancy, Dr. Kim does not use doxycycline, and he chooses a pregnancy-safe option instead.
If ureaplasma shows up but you have no symptoms, we usually don’t treat. Unnecessary antibiotics can upset the healthy vaginal bacteria and contribute to antibiotic resistance, which can make future infections harder to treat.
Can Men Have Ureaplasma?
Yes. In men, a high level of Ureaplasma urealyticum can cause urethritis, inflammation of the tube that carries urine, with burning or discharge. Some studies have also linked ureaplasma to lower sperm quality, though the evidence is mixed. Because ureaplasma can pass back and forth between partners, a partner’s symptoms matter when a woman has recurring infections.
Can Ureaplasma Affect Fertility?
The research is mixed. Some studies find ureaplasma more often in women being evaluated for infertility, but those studies haven’t separated its effect from BV and other infections that are known to affect fertility. A European expert review concluded that the evidence isn’t strong enough to say ureaplasma causes infertility on its own.
If you’re trying to conceive or planning a pregnancy and have recurring vaginal symptoms, it’s worth sorting them out first, including testing for ureaplasma. A full fertility evaluation also looks at ovulation, the uterus and fallopian tubes, and your partner’s semen analysis.
What Does Ureaplasma Mean During Pregnancy?
Some studies have linked ureaplasma with pregnancy complications such as preterm birth, early rupture of the membranes, and chorioamnionitis, an infection of the amniotic fluid and membranes. But the research is mixed. Many women carry ureaplasma throughout a healthy pregnancy, and finding it doesn’t mean a problem will develop. A Cochrane review found there isn’t yet enough evidence to say whether treating it in women without symptoms changes pregnancy outcomes.
Researchers are still studying whether ureaplasma plays a role in lung problems and other infections in premature babies.
If you’re pregnant and have symptoms, tell us. Your care is personalized, especially if you’ve had a previous preterm birth. See our prenatal care and high-risk pregnancy care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get ureaplasma without being sexually active?
It’s usually passed through sexual contact, but it can be present for years before causing symptoms, and it can pass from mother to baby during birth.
My at-home test says I have ureaplasma. Do I need antibiotics?
Not if you have no symptoms. If you do have symptoms, especially recurring ones, schedule a visit so we can test for all the likely causes together.
Why do my BV or yeast infections keep coming back?
There are several possible reasons, including less common yeast species, ureaplasma, or other organisms that standard tests don’t detect. PCR testing helps find what’s actually going on.
Does my partner need treatment?
It depends on your results and symptoms. Dr. Kim will discuss it with you.
Is ureaplasma the same as Mycoplasma genitalium?
No. M. genitalium is a sexually transmitted infection that’s tested and treated differently.
Should I get tested at my annual exam if I feel fine?
Not for ureaplasma specifically. Routine screening isn’t recommended without symptoms. Your annual wellness exam covers the screenings that are recommended for your age and history.
Ureaplasma and Vaginal Infection Testing at Yunella
If you’ve been treated for the same symptoms again and again, you deserve a real answer. We use next-day PCR testing to look beyond BV and yeast, and we treat what’s actually causing your symptoms.
Call 424-404-8832 or request an appointment to schedule a visit.
Medically reviewed by David Seil Kim, MD, PhD · Last reviewed: September 29, 2026
This article is for education and does not replace individualized medical advice.