Comparative performance of vulvovaginal swab sampling versus endocervical sampling for the detection of Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Mycoplasma genitalium, and Trichomoniasis: A cross-sectional study in Spain

Abstract

IntroductionThe global increase in sexual transmitted infections (STI) makes it necessary to seek public health strategies that facilitate rapid and minimally invasive diagnosis. The objective was to evaluate the concordance between vaginal and endocervical samples for STI diagnosis. Materials and methodsA retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out on vaginal and endocervical samples from women attended in our reference area with symptoms suggestive of vulvovaginitis or for STI screening during the study period. ResultsA total of 130 paired samples were analyzed; fifty-seven and 59 samples were positive for vaginal and endocervical specimens (Kappa index of 0.969 (Standard error = 0.022). The sensitivity of the vaginal samples was 96.5% (IC95%: 87.2–99.4), with a specificity of 100% (IC95%: 93.0–100). DiscussionThe introduction of STI screening in vaginal samples in our environment can facilitate rapid and effective diagnosis and allow early treatment of STI. Additionally, it facilitates sample collection and diagnosis in the community setting, essential for optimal screening.