Nucleic acid amplification tests are more accurate and cost-effective than the Chlamydia rapid test for diagnosing genital chlamydia
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Correspondence to Thomas L Gift
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS E-80, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA; tgift{at}cdc.gov
Background
Chlamydia is the most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the world and has been associated with reproductive sequelae in women, though the frequency with which sequelae develop is not precisely known.1 2 As most cases of chlamydia are asymptomatic, screening – primarily of women – has been the primary intervention used to control chlamydia.2 Screening programmes typically involve collecting a specimen from a patient, sending it to a lab for processing and notifying the patient of results and arranging treatment if positive. As Hislop and colleagues note, …
