ACCEPTABILITY AND USEFULNESS OF VAGINAL WASHES IN PREMENARCHEAL GIRLSAS A DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURE FOR SEXUALLY-TRANSMITTED DISEASES

Objective. To assess the suitability of vaginal washes as specimens fo r sexually transmitted disease diagnosis and determine the usefulness of PCR technology for Chlamydia trachomatis diagnosis in prepubertal g irls. Study design. Paired sets of vaginal secretions were collected w ith swabs and by vaginal wash from 138 prepubertal girls for evaluatio n because of alleged sexual abuse. Detection by culture of Neisseria g onorrhoeae and C. trachomatis was compared between the two sampling te chniques, PCR techniques were also used to test 29 vaginal wash specim ens for C. trachomatis. Results. In the prepubertal girls N. gonorrhoe ae was detected in two mash specimens but in only one swab specimen; C . trachomatis was detected by culture in both paired specimens from tw o children and by PCR in vaginal washes from both of the two children positive by culture; PCR identified two other infected children. Concl usions. A vaginal wash technique coupled with newer molecular amplific ation technology may be useful in the assessment of sexually abused ch ildren.