Overcoming analytical and preanalytical challenges associated with extragenital home collected STI specimens.

There is a clinical need for expanded extragenital bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing options, but the current regulatory landscape limits the wide-spread promotion and adoption of such services. Improved access, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community, can be achieved by validating testing for specimens that are self-collected at a remote location and arrive at the laboratory via a postal carrier or other intermediary route. Here we provide valuable data showing that self-collected samples for anal and oropharyngeal STI testing are equally or increasingly sensitive compared with those collected by a provider. We systematically consider the effects of storage time, exposure to temperature extremes, and the addition of common toiletries on results.