New Molecular Tests for Gonorrhea and Chlamdia

NAAT Testing for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia: A Review of Diagnostic Accuracy, Cost-Effectiveness, and Acceptability.

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Key Points

NAATs are powerful molecular techniques for the screening and diagnosis of infectious microorganisms.
Three commercially available NAATs are approved in Canada for the screening and diagnosis of chlamydia and gonorrhea.
NAATs are, in most instances, highly sensitive and specific for chlamydia and gonorrhea testing on urine, cervical swab or urethral swab specimens. However, some studies show that factors within urine samples could hamper the performance of NAATs.
Studies that directly measure the compliance with testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea are generally lacking, but several systematic reviews and observational studies report important factors that could enhance compliance.
Cost-effectiveness and cost-savings of NAATs for screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea have been demonstrated in some mathematical modeling studies. However, there is a paucity of cost-effectiveness modeling studies that are based on Canadian data.
No study regarding the stability of urine-based or swab-based specimens during storage or transport could be found.
NAAT technologies can be adopted for other applications in public health.