BackgroundSexually transmitted infections (STIs) continue to rise globally, with >1 million new cases reported daily in 2020.In England, newly diagnosed STIs increased by 23.8% in 2022 compared to 2021.Many infections remain asymptomatic yet contribute to infertility, pregnancy complications, and neonatal morbidity.While routine screening often focuses on Chlamydia trachomatis, broader detection is limited by laboratory turnaround times and restricted test panels. MethodsWe analysed 6003 home-collected urine and/or swab samples submitted for sexual health screening in the UK.Samples were tested in the laboratory for 10 bacterial and viral pathogens.A total of 5859 urine and 1627 swab samples were processed, with paired samples assessed for diagnostic agreement. ResultsThe most common infections detected in urine were Ureaplasma urealyticum (12.1%),Mycoplasma hominis (8.6%), and Chlamydia trachomatis (2.4%).Swabs showed similar prevalence, with Ureaplasma urealyticum (11.6%) most frequent, followed by Mycoplasma hominis (10.4%) and HSV-2 (4.4%).Paired urine-swab samples demonstrated strong agreement, though swabs improved HSV detection. ConclusionsUreaplasma urealyticum was the most prevalent STI detected, yet only Chlamydia trachomatis is routinely screened in England.
Mary et al. (Thu,) studied this question.