The following page gives guidance on which swabs to use when testing for sexually transmitted infections.
Please also see the following pages for information about specific infections:
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (Remedy BNSSG ICB)
Scenario Samples required Requests Symptomatic, high risk of STI (pregnant/non-pregnant) Aptima® NAAT multi-test swab N.gonorrhoeae NAAT C.trachomatis NAAT T.vaginalis NAAT High vaginal liquid swab Routine culture Symptomatic, pregnant, low risk of STI Aptima® NAAT multi-test swab High vaginal liquid swab T.vaginalis NAAT Routine culture Symptomatic, non-pregnant, low risk of STI High vaginal liquid swab Routine culture Concerns about TV (e.g., ongoing symptoms with negative routine culture) Aptima® NAAT multi-test swab T.vaginalis NAA
Efforts are made to ensure the accuracy and agreement of these guidelines, including any content uploaded, referred to or linked to from the system. However, BNSSG ICB cannot guarantee this. This guidance does not override the individual responsibility of healthcare professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or guardian or carer, in accordance with the mental capacity act, and informed by the summary of product characteristics of any drugs they are considering. Practitioners are required to perform their duties in accordance with the law and their regulators and nothing in this guidance should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with compliance with those duties.
Information provided through Remedy is continually updated so please be aware any printed copies may quickly become out of date.