Impacting patient care with lab-quality rapid point of care (POC) testing for STIs

• Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a major health concern worldwide, with more than 1 million new cases estimated each day
• A significant challenge in diagnosing STIs is that they present with similar or overlapping symptoms, which makes it difficult to manage infections effectively
• Easy-to-use molecular platforms at the point of care (POC) can rapidly and accurately detect and differentiate infections, positively impacting patient care

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remain a significant global health problem, with an estimated 1 million new cases every day.¹ Unfortunately, many STIs go unidentified, undiagnosed, and untreated due to their asymptomatic nature, persistent stigma, and limited access to testing and care for patients. Adding to the urgency is the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), driven in part by inappropriate or delayed treatment. This can lead to STIs becoming untreatable in the future.¹

At EuroMedLab 2025, Rodney Arcenas, Director of Clinical Development at Roche Diagnostics Solutions, discussed the growing need for accurate, lab-quality diagnostic tools that work at the POC for STI testing. He emphasized how easy-to-use solutions can close critical gaps in STI care by enabling rapid, actionable results in decentralized settings.

STIs often present with similar or overlapping symptoms. Often, patients may be asymptomatic, with no overt signs or symptoms. Conditions like Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) can manifest similarly or be completely silent, making it difficult for clinicians to diagnose based on symptoms alone. Often, this leads to syndromic management, where treatment is based on signs and symptoms without a confirmed diagnosis from a sensitive and specific test.²

While practical in resource-limited settings, this approach can result in both over- and under-treatment, fueling AMR and missing opportunities for targeted care. Accurate, STI-specific diagnostics are needed for delivering effective treatment and mitigating antimicrobial resistance.

Advancements in molecular platforms now make it possible to conduct STI-specific testing at the POC. These systems use PCR to detect and differentiate infections like CT, NG, and MG in a single test.³ Such molecular POC tests enable clinicians to tailor treatment to the specific pathogen, supporting antibiotic stewardship–the practice of using the right drug at the right dose for the right duration to limit unnecessary antibiotic exposure and reduce the development of antimicrobial resistance.⁴

Being able to test from any of these sample types, male and female urine samples, as well as clinician- or patient-collected vaginal swabs, in a molecular POC test device that can deliver results in 20 minutes with less than one minute of hands-on time can provide benefits for clinicians and patients alike. Clinicians can act on clear, differentiated results in real-time, providing actionable insights without waiting for centralized lab testing, which may take days to yield a result, and patients have peace of mind that the treatment they are receiving is the correct one.

A clinical study involving 4,800 subjects validated the performance of an easy-to-use POC solution.⁵ The platform demonstrated high clinical sensitivity and specificity across male and female urine samples, as well as clinician-collected and self-collected vaginal swabs, for the detection of CT, NG, and MG. 

Importantly, the system also detected co-infections, which are an often overlooked but clinically relevant consideration in STI management. These findings confirm that lab-quality performance is achievable in POC settings that can be run by non-laboratorians, offering confidence in diagnosis and care planning.

One of the key benefits of POC molecular testing for STI’s is its ability to reach patients where they are, regardless of geographic and infrastructure limitations. In many cases, individuals fail to return for follow-up care due to time constraints, fear of stigma, or logistical barriers. By delivering accurate results during the initial encounter, even in emergency departments or hospitals without core or molecular labs, this approach reduces loss to follow-up and ensures timely treatment.

With the development and advancements being made in molecular POC systems, new technologies do not require specialized training; non-laboratory staff can administer the test and interpret results, further expanding access to definitive diagnostics. This increased accessibility helps ensure timely diagnosis and treatment, impacting patient care by reducing delays and preventing complications from untreated infections.

If you want to hear more from Rodney Arcenas on how molecular POC testing can improve the diagnosis of STIs, click here to register to watch the full presentation from EuroMedLab 2025.