UriSwab: an effective transport medium for nucleic acid detection of Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium and Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Midstream urine self-collection demonstrated adequate sensitivity for Chlamydia trachomatis screening in asymptomatic patients, although it was less sensitive than vaginal swabs in women, and the study confirmed that nucleic acids in neat urine remain stable for up to seven days when stored at 4°C.

The potential use of midstream urine samples for diagnosing Chlamydia/Gonorrhoea NAAT in male and female patients, and the pre-analytical storage conditions in neat urine specimens — Ilardo et al., The new microbiologica (paywalled) · source ↗

• sti
• self-collection
• liquid
• urine
• validation

This study found strong agreement between self-collected urine samples tested with the INDICAID HPV assay and clinician-collected swabs tested with the BD Onclarity assay for detecting high-risk HPV. The results suggest that urine-based self-collection offers a reliable alternative for cervical cancer screening, potentially improving access for women who face barriers to standard care.

Agreement between INDICAID™ HPV (human papillomavirus) Urine Test and BD Onclarity™ HPV Assay in detection of high-risk HPV in self-collected urine samples — Yung et al., Journal of gynecologic oncology (paywalled) · source ↗

• sti
• self-collection
• hpv
• liquid
• urine
• validation

The Phase HPV Urine Test detected 14 high-risk HPV types from first-void urine samples, showing 93 per cent concordance with the Roche cobas 4800 reference assay after sequencing adjudication. The test demonstrated high precision, a low limit of detection, and ten-day stability at ambient temperature, supporting non-invasive, self-collected screening to improve access and participation.

Performance of a novel, urine-based test for the detection of cervical human papillomavirus infection — Manjeshwar et al., Journal of clinical microbiology · source ↗

• stabilised
• first-void
• sti
• self-collection
• hpv
• urine
• validation

The Cobas Liat CT/NG/MG nucleic acid amplification test achieved 97% specificity for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and mycoplasma from self-collected urine and vaginal swabs at point-of-care, with sensitivity of at least 92% for most specimen types. Sensitivity was modestly lower for female urine (77–87%), yet the 20-minute turnaround time and ease of use support rapid, decentralised STI screening and reduced empiric treatment.

Sensitivity and specificity of the Cobas Liat CT/NG/MG nucleic acid test in a clinical laboratory setting and point-of-care location — Van Der Pol et al., Journal of clinical microbiology · source ↗

• sti
• self-collection
• liquid
• urine
• validation

Self-collected urine samples matched clinician-collected cervical samples in detecting all seven CIN3 lesions among hrHPV-positive women when extended HPV typing was used, showing 82% concordance for hrHPV detection. This indicates urine self-collection could serve as a patient-centric, decentralised screening option for cervical precancer without compromising diagnostic yield.

Performance of urine samples compared to cervical samples for detection of precancer lesions among HPV-positive women attending colposcopy clinic in Mexico City — Meneses-León et al., Cancer causes & control : CCC · source ↗

• sti
• self-collection
• hpv
• liquid
• urine
• validation