The College of American Pathologists (CAP) recently published an article highlighting the benefits of point-of-care testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It contains important information for patients, clinicians, and lab professionals.

The article opens with an overview of POCT and why it matters for STI testing. Leaving STIs untreated can lead to severe health issues and increased transmission, and results from traditional laboratory testing can take up to a few days to make it back to physicians. The authors said, “For both clinicians and patients, the promise of POCT is simple; test, diagnose, and treat in a single encounter.”

Key points:

• There are POCTs available for several major STIs, including new options for chlamydia and gonorrhea that are FDA-cleared and CLIA-waived.
• POCT makes STI healthcare more accessible for vulnerable individuals who are disproportionately affected by STIs.
• POCT allows patients to receive a follow-up during the same visit.
• The authors say POCT can be less stigmatizing, encouraging more people to go through with testing.
• Receiving test results quickly can reduce unnecessary antibiotic use.
• At-home tests are increasing access to testing.

The authors noted, “While POCT does not replace comprehensive laboratory services, it can complement centralized testing strategies in settings where loss to follow‑up is common or rapid treatment is critical.” They also listed a few limitations to POCT, such as cost, complexity, specimen type restrictions, and quality oversight, emphasizing that POCT might not be right for all care settings.

The article also highlighted the pathologist’s role in supporting STI POCT adoption, including test performance assessments, ensuring regulatory compliance, quality management, electronic health record result integration, and aiding clinicians with test selection and result interpretation.

The authors concluded by talking about current STI POCT advancements, like at-home kits. They emphasized, “As these technologies evolve, collaboration between clinicians, laboratorians, and public health professionals will be key to realizing the full potential of point‑of‑care STI testing.”