Diving into pooling: an efficient strategy for STI screening in individuals at increased risk

The WHO recommends periodic screening for key sexually transmitted pathogens, such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), in asymptomatic individuals at increased risk of sexually transmitted infection (STI) acquisition. The rise in STIs poses a diagnostic challenge, considering the high costs of molecular techniques and the new recommendations of multisite screening.1 Sample pooling has been proposed for detecting NG, CT and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), aiming to reduce costs and laboratory workload.2 This study evaluates pooling methodology and compares its performance with conventional individual PCR testing.