Saskatchewan first province to use urine samples for STD testing

Saskatchewan's provincial laboratory has become the first in the country to use urine samples to conduct all chlamydia and gonorrhea tests. The move is expected to save money through earlier detection and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.

The lab, which processes about 3000 such samples a month, made the switch from traditional testing techniques in June after a year-long trial of the new testing instrument. The provincial facility handles 98% of all chlamydia testing in Saskatchewan.

Dr. Edward Chan, clinical director of the lab, said the $8 cost of the reagent for either test is more than offset by savings achieved by treating patients before they develop more costly complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the direct and indirect costs of chlamydia amount to more than US$2.4 billion annually, said Chan. Canada's health system is probably spending around a tenth of that amount.

Since the switch to this less invasive form of testing began, the number of men being tested jumped from 150 each month to between 500 and 600. This is likely because the new test is less painful. “Not only are urine samples easier to obtain, but I think they represent the future,” said Chan. “Other studies are showing that urine testing can be used to detect other STDs, including HPV.”

The sensitivity of the new assay is 95.3%, while its specificity is 99.3%. These figures represent a significant improvement over the sensitivity of 60% to 75% and specificity of 80% to 90% reported in the literature for the traditional urethral swab in men and combination cervical/urethral swab in women. —