Most current STD check-ups for women involve taking a swab from high inside the vagina, which is not only an unpleasant experience for the patient, but an unreliable method of testing. Two innovative techniques for gathering samples were revealed at the Interscience Conference on Anti-Microbial Agents and Chemotherapy in Toronto, Canada, and reported on the New Scientist website. A team of researchers from the Africa Centre for Population Studies wanted to develop a non-invasive test which could overcome the problems of helping remote communities with limited access to doctors. These were then sent off to the laboratory for testing for the most common STD in the world, Trichomonas vaginalis. This is caused by a single-celled animal which causes itching and a discharge.
Infected mothers are far more likely to have low-birthweight or premature babies.
The laboratory test checked for the presence of genes unique to the Trichamonas - it is claimed that it could detect the presence of as few as 10 Trichamonas in a sample, and does not matter if the creatures are alive or dead. The team also believes their tampons can be used to detect other STDs such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea, which are prevalent in more developed countries. Chlamydia can infect women and damage their fertility without even causing noticeable symptoms. A separate team from Laval University in Quebec have devised a modified sanitary towel which can test for chlamydia. The towel simply has to be worn for a few hours, the filter removed, sealed in a bag and posted to the laboratory.