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Self-sampling and self-testing for STIs and HIV: the case for consistent nomenclature
  1. Emma M Harding-Esch1,2,
  2. Emma Hollis1,
  3. Hamish Mohammed1,
  4. John M Saunders1
  1. 1 HIV/STI Department, National Infection Service, Public Health England, London, UK
  2. 2 Applied Diagnostic Research and Evaluation Unit, Institute for Infection and Immunity, St George's University of London, London, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Emma M Harding-Esch, HIV/STI Department, National Infection Service, Public Health England, London, UK; Emma.Harding-Esch{at}phe.gov.uk

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At the recent BASHH Annual Conference, there were numerous presentations referring to home-sampling or testing, oftentimes interchangeably and inconsistently, despite these being distinct methodologies. Furthermore, by specifying ‘home’ as opposed to ‘self’, the sampling or testing is constrained to the home environment. With diagnostic advances enabling modified care pathways, we urge that these terms be used consistently.

The WHO defines HIV self-testing as ‘a process whereby a person who …

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Footnotes

  • Twitter Follow Emma Harding-Esch at @eSTI2_org and John Saunders at @saunders_j

  • Contributors EMH-E wrote the manuscript, and EH, HM and JMS assisted.

  • Funding EMH-E is funded by the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (Medical Research Council) Translation Infection Research Initiative Consortium (grant number G0901608).

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.