title: Using self-administered tampons to diagnose STDs.
abstract: The new nucleic acid amplification techniques (e.g., LCR and PCR) have allowed the introduction of non- and minimally-invasive techniques for the detection of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In this article, we describe one of these-the self-administrated tampon method-which we have used to detect the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Trichomonas vaginalis, and human papillomavirus in women.
authors.affiliation: AIDS/STD Unit, Centre for Disease Control, Territory Health Services, Darwin, Australia.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Bowden
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Paterson
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Tabrizi
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Fairley
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Garland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012646:Self Administration; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013630:Tampons, Surgical; D014246:Trichomonas vaginalis / Q000302:isolation & purification