How Is Chlamydial Infection Detected?
Successfully screening for and preventing the spread of chlamydia depends on the ability to diagnose infections accurately, rapidly, and inexpensively. Several tests are available for diagnosing chlamydia, each with their own advantages and drawbacks. The best diagnostic method for you may depend on the clinical setting, desire for accuracy, the test’s cost, and the prevalence of the infection within the population. Cell Culture Until recently, a cell culture was considered the most accurate way to diagnose Chlamydia trachomatis infections and the standard against which all other tests were measured. In this method, cells taken from the affected part of the body are grown (cultured) on a glass surface in the laboratory to identify abnormalities. The main advantage of a cell culture is that it always excludes chlamydial infection when it is truly absent. For this reason, cell cultures remain the diagnostic method of choice in cases with legal implications, such as rape or incest. Howeve
