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‘World-first’ multi-STI rapid test
The point-of-care test can make a diagnosis within an hour, with researchers hoping it will be ready for clinical use in five years.
A new STI-testing device is hoped to be in routine clinical use within the next five years, say its developers.
A portable, point-of-care test that can detect four common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in less than an hour and with high accuracy has been developed by Melbourne researchers.
The device, which is described as a ‘world-first’ by its Doherty Institute researchers, can simultaneously test for syphilis, gonorrhoea, herpes and chlamydia using urine or swab samples.
A study of the new test, published in The Lancet Microbe, said it ‘offers a promising approach for rapid, decentralised, and resistance-informed STI diagnosis, particularly in resource-limited settings’.
‘This study presents, to our knowledge, the first comprehensive point-of-care CRISPR-based diagnostic suite for common STIs, showing promising diagnostic performance and the potential to transform STI diagnostics,’ said the researchers.
The test will now undergo implementation trials, with hopes it will be used in routine clinical care within five years.
The researchers added that the technology can also support broader use of self-collected samples, making testing more accessible for patients.
The study’s co-first author, Matthew O’Neill, said the device has been validated using 900 clinical samples and, when available, will deliver results without the need for laboratory infrastructure.
‘When benchmarked against gold-standard laboratory PCR, the rapid test showed 97–100% accuracy in correctly identifying negative results, a level of precision important for safe, evidence-based treatment decisions,’ he said.
It comes at a time when Australia is facing significant increases in STI rates, particularly syphilis and gonorrhoea.
In 2024, there were almost 6000 syphilis cases and more than 44,200 gonorrhoea cases in Australia, more than a doubling of cases for each since 2014.
In August 2025, syphilis was for the first time declared a ‘communicable disease of national significance’.
Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Sexual Health Medicine Dr Sara Whitburn said with the continued rise of STI rates and the need for increased testing and treatment, ‘new models of testing for STIs are welcome’.
‘Tests that can diagnose a range of STIs are also a bonus, as we know that people can come in contact with multiple STIs,’ she told newsGP.
‘If you have a positive test for an STI, you have an increased chance of having other STIs.’
But Dr Whitburn added that further studies and in-practice trials are needed before GPs could access the tool.
‘As this was a laboratory-based study, further implementation studies and trialling within a range of primary care settings is needed to assess how general practice can interact and use this new point-of-care testing,’ Dr Whitburn said.
The study’s senior author, Dr Shivani Pasricha, said the testing device will be ‘particularly valuable’ for underserved communities, such as in regional and remote areas, where STI rates are often higher and diagnostic delays are common.
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chlamydia gonorrhoea herpes sexually transmitted infection STI syphilis
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