BACKGROUND: Many sexually transmitted diseases are asymptomatic in the lower genital tract and can cause upper tract complications if left untreated. Self-collected vaginal (SCV) swabs enable the accurate detection of many sexually transmitted infections and give women the option of collecting their own samples while providing them with privacy and convenience. METHODS: We compared SCV samples collected and transported dry using the HerSwab device to physician-collected vaginal (PCV) Aptima swabs for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and measured patients' ease and comfort with self-collection. A total of 189 women aged 16 to 41 years were consented into the study and answered a standardized anonymized questionnaire regarding self-collection with the HerSwab device. RESULTS: Women reported self-collection with HerSwab to be easy (97.1%) and comfortable (88.3%). They preferred self-collection over physician collection (80.9%) and would consider using HerSwab for self-collection at home (79.7%). Samples of SCV and PCV showed an overall agreement of 94.7% (κ = 0.64) for CT and of 98.4% (κ = 0.56) for NG, and HerSwab collection detected 7 more positive patients than PCV collection. The overall prevalence of infection was 10.6% for CT and 2.6% for NG. CONCLUSION: HerSwab SCV samples are suitable for the diagnosis of CT and NG.
BACKGROUND: Many sexually transmitted diseases are asymptomatic in the lower genital tract and can cause upper tract complications if left untreated. Self-collected vaginal (SCV) swabs enable the accurate detection of many sexually transmitted infections and give women the option of collecting their own samples while providing them with privacy and convenience. METHODS: We compared SCV samples collected and transported dry using the HerSwab device to physician-collected vaginal (PCV) Aptima swabs for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and measured patients' ease and comfort with self-collection. A total of 189 women aged 16 to 41 years were consented into the study and answered a standardized anonymized questionnaire regarding self-collection with the HerSwab device. RESULTS:Women reported self-collection with HerSwab to be easy (97.1%) and comfortable (88.3%). They preferred self-collection over physician collection (80.9%) and would consider using HerSwab for self-collection at home (79.7%). Samples of SCV and PCV showed an overall agreement of 94.7% (κ = 0.64) for CT and of 98.4% (κ = 0.56) for NG, and HerSwab collection detected 7 more positive patients than PCV collection. The overall prevalence of infection was 10.6% for CT and 2.6% for NG. CONCLUSION: HerSwab SCV samples are suitable for the diagnosis of CT and NG.
Authors: Julia R Raifman; Kelly A Gebo; William Christopher Mathews; Philip Todd Korthuis; Khalil G Ghanem; Judith A Aberg; Richard D Moore; Ank E Nijhawan; Anne K Monroe; Stephen A Berry Journal: J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Date: 2017-12-01 Impact factor: 3.731
Authors: Barbara Van Der Pol; Kenneth Fife; Stephanie N Taylor; Melinda B Nye; Steven E Chavoustie; David L Eisenberg; LaShonda Crane; Gregory Hirsch; Rodney Arcenas; Elizabeth M Marlowe Journal: J Clin Microbiol Date: 2019-03-28 Impact factor: 5.948
Authors: Cara Exten; Casey N Pinto; Anne M Gaynor; Beth Meyerson; Stacey B Griner; Barbara Van Der Pol Journal: Sex Transm Dis Date: 2021-11-01 Impact factor: 3.868