Table 1.

Diagnostics for major STI syndromes

Major STI syndromes	Pathogens	Existing technologies	New technologies
Urethral discharge	Chlamydia trachomatis Neisseria gonorrhoeae	Antigen detection: enzyme immunoassay or rapid antigen test NAAT	Rapid multiplex NAATs: GeneXpert, Recombinase Polymerase Amplification, Rolling Circle Amplification and other rapid NAATs
Vaginal discharge	Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae Trichomonas vaginalis Bacterial vaginosis	Antigen detection: enzyme immunoassay or rapid antigen test NAAT Microscopy	Rapid multiplex NAATs: GeneXpert, Recombinase polymerase amplification, Rolling circle amplification and other rapid NAATs
Genital ulcer	Haemophilus ducreyi	Culture	If ulcer present: Rapid multiplex NAAT
	Herpes simplex type 2	Serology, NAAT	Serology: Rapid multiplex testing, or in combination with HIV, syphilis and/or Hepatitis B or C
	Treponema pallidum	Dark field microscopy Serology: Non-treponemal tests: RPR/VDRL Treponemal tests: TPHA/TPPA/Rapid tests	Serology Rapid duplex non-treponemal and treponemal tests Rapid treponemal tests using oral fluid
Genital warts	Human papilloma virus	Rapid antigen detection NAAT	Rapid NAAT

NAAT, nucleic acid amplified test; RPR, rapid plasma reagin; STI, sexually transmitted infection; TPHA, Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay; TPPA, Treponema pallidum Particle Agglutination assay; VDRL, Venereal Disease Research Laboratory.