Testing for sexually transmitted infections

Rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are increasing worldwide and Australia is part of this trend with increasing notifications. As many STIs are asymptomatic, timely and appropriate testing is needed to avoid the long-term sequelae of infection, halt transmission and improve associated morbidity. Newer testing modalities such as nucleic acid amplification tests (NMTs) offer improved sensitivity and enable non-invasive testing thus augmenting traditional tools such as microscopy and culture