Review of molecular techniques for sexually transmitted diseases diagnosis

Abstract

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) constitute the most common infectious diseases around the world and bear significant consequences for both the individual and public health of the community. More than 20 STDs have now been identi-fied, and they affect more than 13 million men and women in the United States each year (CDC, 2002). Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that more than 7 million cases of Chlamydia trachomatis infection and more than 350,000 cases of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection were reported in 2000 (CDC, 2001). In the past decade, the rapid development of molecular techniques has gradually shifted the paradigm of laboratory diagnosis from traditional biological to molecular amplification and detection of major causative agents of sexually transmitted infections. © 2006 Springer.