Database analysis of commercially available STI tests supports vaginal swabs as most reliable detection method

In a study published in The Annals of Family Medicine, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of multiple databases from 1995-2021 to assess the diagnostic sensitivity of commercially available tests that use vaginal swabs versus urine specimens to detect chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomonas. Although vaginal swabs are the recommended sample type by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),, the most used specimen among women is urine. The authors identified 28 eligible articles with 30 comparisons for CT; 16 comparisons for NG; and nine comparisons for TV.