Background Increasing Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) rates and ever-present Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) infections worldwide in women have led to the consideration of targeted male CT/NG screening programs in order to address the male reservoir. Effortlessly collected, non-invasive, painless, dry, self-obtained male swab specimens that are stable and easy to transport would enhance the success of male screening programs. We undertook a study to compare the results of self obtained glans/meatal swab (SOGS) (COPAN FLOQSwabs) specimens with conventional first catch urine (FCU) specimens. The aim of the study was simply to assess the usefulness of a SOGS specimen when compared to FCU given the SOGS specimen's ease of collection, ease of use and handling in challenged venues (ie, without toilet facilities), and ease of transport.

Methods 122 male patients attending an STD clinic and males incarcerated near the Italian city of Asti were tested for CT and NG using a SOGS. Patients were verbally instructed and shown a drawing to enhance standardised self-collection. A FCU specimen was also collected. SOGS and FCU specimens were then processed according to the manufacturer's recommended procedure using the BD ProbeTec ET system (Becton Dickinson and Company).

Results There were a total of 16 specimens detected positive for either CT or NG. Seven men were infected by both CT and NG. The CT prevalence was 5.7%. The NG prevalence was 13.1%. There was an overall SOGS specimen agreement of 97.5% when compared to FCU specimen results.

Conclusions High agreement was obtained with the self obtained glans/meatal COPAN FLOQSwabs when compared to standard FCU specimens. These results indicate that self obtained glans/meatal swab specimens are a viable specimen choice. Dry self obtained glans/meatal swab specimens with FLOQSwabs were easy to collect, transport and test using the BD ProbeTec ET system. The BD ProbeTec ET system showed high agreement when testing both of these specimen types. Simpler methods of collection and transport that produce reliable test results may increase the potential for screening difficult to test male populations, especially those who never test.