Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)

CDC Laboratory Guidelines

Summary

“Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) are critical tools to diagnose and treat Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections. NAATs for C. trachomatis are substantially more sensitive than previous tests. When using a NAAT, any sacrifice in performance when urine is substituted for a traditional swab specimen is limited, thus reducing dependence on invasive procedures and expanding the venues where specimens can be obtained.”