Diagnostic tests and specimens used to screen for Chlamydia trachomatis ingenitourinary medicine clinics in the United Kingdom

This questionnaire study looked at the diagnostics tests and specimens used to screen for Chlamydia trachomatis in UK genitourinary medicine (GUM) cli nics. Replies were received from 70% (185/265) of clinics. Half used only o ne site to screen women. One-third took anal swabs from patients who had an al sex and 10% took oropharyngeal swabs from patients who had oral sex. Immunoassays were used to screen men for chlamydia in 86% of the clinics an d women in 88%. Only 60% of male and 62% of female immunoassays were supple mented by a second test. Six per cent of clinics used molecular technique ( MT) to screen men and 4% to screen women and 4% were trying to acquire it. Culture was not available to 58% of clinics. MT was not available to 81%, 8 9% of which was due to non provision locally and/or cost. Only 7% of clinic ians thought that using MT for screening was unnecessary. There were signif icant differences in the availability of the technique between large academ ic and small clinics. A national review of GUM strategies to screen for C. trachomatis with adequate funding is urgently needed.