Women's Health and STI Unassayed Controls

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also called sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), are primarily spread through vaginal, oral, or anal sex. Each year, more than 9 million women in the United States are diagnosed with an STI. Women often experience more serious health problems from STIs than men, including infertility and chronic pelvic pain, which can have lifelong impacts.

There are more than 30 known pathogens that cause STDs which include bacteria (gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia), parasites (trichomoniasis), and viruses (HPV, herpes, HIV). STIs vary in terms of their latent periods and are often difficult to notice, as symptoms may not be obvious. Infected individuals, particularly women, may show no symptoms at all so they can unknowingly pass on the infection for several years.

Fig. 1 Types of STIs

The consequences of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) can be serious. It is suggested that all sexually active women under 25 years old should be tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia every year. Without proper diagnosis and treatment, STDs can have serious consequences beyond the immediate impact of the infection itself including pregnancy complications, pelvic inflammatory disease and an increased risk of HIV acquisition.

Early and rapid diagnosis of STDs increases the chance to limit effects of the disease. There are five primary methods for diagnosing STDs: (1) culture, (2) microscopy, (3) antigen or enzyme detection, (4) nucleic acid sequence detection (NAAT), and (5) antibody detection. Among these, the tests that offer the quickest diagnosis have become the most widely accepted. Consequently, this has significantly reduced the conventional reliance on culture and spurred greater development of rapid tests. These rapid tests include microscopy, rapid serologic antibody detection, and specific cellular component detection, such as antigens, enzymes, or nucleic acid sequences (particularly with amplification techniques).

Creative Diagnostics offers a variety of controls and matched antibody pairs for women's health and STI testing, featuring high performance and being ideal for immunoassays.