Is self-swabbing for gonorrhea and Chlamydia an acceptable method for screening in men who have sex with men?

Abstract

Evidence-Based Answer The Aptima Combo 2 assay® (AC2), a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT), demonstrates substantial agreement between self-collected specimens (SCS) and provider-collected specimens (PCS) testing for rectal and pharyngeal Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis in men who have sex with men (MSM). Selfcollection using strand displacement assays (SDA) has poor sensitivity (SOR: B, multiple diagnostic studies). The Cobas Amplicor PCR (PCR) has not been adequately proven for this indication (SOR: C, low-quality diagnostic study).