New device to detect STIs ‘in final clinical stage’
A device aimed at detecting sexually transmitted infections in women without symptoms is in its final clinical stage.
It's being funded by the South African Medical Research Council.
The Genital Inflammation Test (GIFT) is a screening tool that will offer early detection and care for asymptomatic women with STIs or Bacterial Vaginosis.
The study is part of a global partnership with focus groups of nearly 700 women from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Madagascar.
The University of Cape Town's Professor Jo-Ann Passmore is one of the researchers and says they aim to make the device available at all reproductive health clinics.
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"Although accurate diagnostic tests do exist for these conditions, they are often too expensive for wide use in typical settings where resources are more limited. The GIFT device, which functions in a way similar to the over-the-counter pregnancy tests, will provide a far more accessible way to screen for inflammation bio-markers, which then allow women to receive results during a single clinic visit."
Passmore says the first results of the study are expected in December.
"We are currently working with the South African Health Regulatory Authority framework to prepare our portfolios for submission for SAHPRA approval."
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