Overview
From Anne Maina's PhD study, recently published in the Pan African Medical Journal. In the Study; we were able to highlight that a syndromic approach to the management of sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) is recommended in areas without adequate laboratory support. Here the study assessed the diagnostic accuracy of this approach in diagnosing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) among 18 to 49-year-old individuals seeking treatment for STIs in a health centre in Nairobi, Kenya.
What this study adds
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This study adds to the knowledge of the diagnostic accuracy of the syndromic approach to screening and case finding of Mycoplasma genitalium, an emerging STI;
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It also adds to the voice calling for the adoption of the aetiologic approach to the management of STIs in Kenya due to the inaccuracy of the syndromic approach;
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In addition, it shows the importance of screening for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in sexually active young adults, a practice which has not been adopted in Kenya.
Dr Anne Maina is supported by the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) and is supervised by Dr Marianne Mureithi, Dr John Kiiru of KEMRI and Prof. Gunturu Revathi of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
