MLO 0402 Coverstory

ecent years have witnessed steady levels of most sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), along with a significant resurgence in syphilis cases.1,2 At the same time, diagnostic tests for STDs have increased in number and diversity. This article summarizes the most important standard tests for common sexually transmitted infections in adults, highlighting newer tests designed to address challenges in management and control of these infections. Since infection with one STD is a marker of risk for contracting others, familiarity with the diagnostic modalities available for all such infections is important. Diagnostic testing is a critical tool for stemming spread of new infections. The invasiveness of diagnostic tests, their ease of use, ability to conduct them in alternative clinical and nonclinical settings, timing of results, and cost are important test factors that contribute to effective disease control. In some instances, newer diagnostic tests have replaced more labor-intensive and/or costlier techniques, such as bacterial culture and older assays necessitating daily preparation of reagents, nondisposable hardware, and intensively skilled staff for results interpretation. Increasingly, testing for STDs is conducted when and where the patient presents, such as in pre-natal and STD clinics. Such point-of-care testing minimizes mistreatment based on clinical diagnosis alone and addresses public health imperatives to recognize and treat STDs early, blunting further disease transmission.