Overview
Due to the recent resurgence of infectious syphilis in Canada and the changing epidemiology of the disease to involve heterosexuals and females of child bearing age leading to a record number of congenital syphilis cases and stillbirths, the demand of a rapid test such as POCT that can be used at the place and time that front-line public health workers meet the at risk population is getting louder. Indeed during a number of federal, provincial and territorial meetings on the control of syphilis outbreaks in Canada, requests for POCT to detect syphilis infections have repeatedly come up. However, before a POCT can be widely used, research to find out if it is accurate and reliable is necessary. This study is designed to test the performance of the MedMira Inc. Multiplo® Complete Syphilis (TP/nTP) Antibody Test (POCT) (MedMira Inc., Halifax, Nova Scotia) in an urban clinic (Sexual Health Clinic) in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and compare its performance in parallel with the usual testing method (the gold standard, i.e. conventional syphilis serology testing).
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Individuals attending the Clinic for routine sexual health care and requiring syphilis testing as part of this care, who are able to provide informed consent and are a minimum 16 years of age are eligible for this study. This includes patients attending the Clinic for follow-up appointments following diagnosis with syphilis infection. Those who have had other STIs in the past, or being suspected of having other STIs, are not excluded as long as testing for syphilis is part of the care provided to them. Once it has been determined that the exclusion criteria does not apply to a patient, the recruitment of participants will be offered without other pre-selection criteria unless there may be other unforeseeable circumstances arising, such as shortage of Clinic staff or large numbers of patients in attendance.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Those who, at the discretion of the HCPs/research co-ordinator, appear intoxicated and/or with extreme distress, or confused, will be excluded from this research because they would not be able to provide informed consent to participate, as well as those below the age of 16 years.