Mycoplasmas, one of several genera within the bacterial class Mollicutes, are the smallest
self-replicating organisms, both in genome size and cellular dimensions. They lack a cell
wall and exist in association with eukaryotic cells, mainly colonizing mucosal surfaces of
the respiratory and urogenital tracts. The most common mycoplasma species that have
been detected in the urogenital tract as their primary site of colonization are Ureaplasma urealyticum and Ureaplasma parvum, Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma genitalium and Mycoplasma fermentans.
These bacteria can survive in the reproductive tract for many years, undetected, until a
patient is specifically tested for the infection. The prevalence of mycoplasma infection
associated with the different indications is depicted below: