• CHLAMYDIA INFECTION
• GONORRHOEA
• PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea continue to be the most treatable bacterial infections in the UK, and they remain a considerable public health concern. The historical concern with point-of-care (POC) testing for chlamydia and gonorrhoea has been the reliance on tests with unacceptable levels of diagnostic accuracy. In this addition of STI, Turner and colleagues present an assessment of the possible costs and benefits of a ‘novel’ POC nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT). There is considerable appeal and logic in rapid and accurate diagnostic tests for these infections. When compared with laboratory-based tests, POC NAAT testing could reduce the delay in receiving test results to a matter of hours rather than days, meaning individuals are more likely to receive timely and appropriate treatment. Not only would …