Some sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing is being restricted nationwide, because ituses some of the elements needed forCovid-19 testing.

Many of thetests for sexuallytransmitted conditions like gonorrhoea and chlamydia use the same reagents and swabs used incoronavirustesting.

Compounding the problem was that New Zealand usually importedreagents-substances or mixtures used in chemical analysis - from Italy and the United States, two of the countrieshardest hit by coronavirus, providing a major obstacle inthe supply chain.

POOL VISION

Dr Caroline McElnay, director of public health, says there will be an increase in testing.

The New Zealand Microbiology Network began redirecting resources to Covid-19 testing last month, meaning chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing for asymptomatic patients was restricted from March 20.

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Testing of known contacts should be treated "empirically" or through observation without testing, a statement read.

RNZ

An infectious diseases specialist says new, wider Covid-19 testing rules still won't test enough people to give a true picture of community transmission.

New Zealand Sexual Health Society Incorporated member, Dr Jane Morgan said there had been a "very clear directive" about increasing the amount of Covid-19 testing, which meant it had to be prioritised over STI testing for some patients.

"I don't think people appreciate some of the supply chain issues around the Covid-19 testing. It's a brand new test but it uses reagents which are used in other types of testing, like forgonorrhoea. Those reagents are manufactured overseas and need to be imported.

"Every country in the world is competing for that supply, so while we have been waiting for production to increase worldwide, New Zealand has been very clear about wanting to conserve the reagent it has so that it can go to Covid testing.

TOM LEE/STUFF

Dr Jo Hicks, a Waikato University biochemistry lecturer, examines gonorrhoea colonies on an agar plate inside one of the university's physical containment laboratories. (File photo)

"It's the consumables - all the swabs, the reagents, every single bit that's needed in order to do a Covid-19 test, making sure that those supply chains are secure so that we can ramp up testing to the level that we need," the Hamilton Sexual Health Service clinical director said.

Urgent STI work was taking place in time-sensitive cases, where a patient could come to harm in the next few weeks, as well as in sexual assault cases.

"But people who just want a peace-of-mind STI check, we're asking them to wait," Morgan said.

DOMINICO ZAPATA/STUFF

New Zealand Sexual Health Society's Dr Jane Morgan says people wanting routine STI checks are being asked to wait. (File photo)

Family Planning New Zealand national medical advisor Dr Beth Messenger said genital herpes testing in Wellington hadbeen restricted since March 16, with the agency also asked to limit all routine STI testing "due to lab capacity".

Most District Health Board sexual health services were only seeing clients with symptoms for face-to-face consultations, or following sexual assault, Messenger understood.

SUPPLIED

Family Planning New Zealand national medical advisor Beth Messenger says the agency was asked to restrict all routine STI screening from March 20. (File photo)

Blood testing for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B and C was so far continuing to take place, but only clients showing symptoms were being seen for review.

Because diagnostic labs carried out the testing, ESR was unable to say how many STI tests were carried out each year.

However, the agency reported there had been 624cases of syphilis, 5993 cases of gonorrhoeaand 32,041 chlamydia casesin the year to June 30,2019.

Anyone who was showing STI symptoms or their partner hadtold them they hadbeen exposed was encouraged to contact sexual health clinics which werestill offeringconsultations over the phone.

If a clinician believeda face-to-face consultation was needed, patients could be seen in aclinic where numbers would be monitored to ensure social distancing was maintained.

Morgan hoped the Alert Level Four-enforced social distancing andlockdown messages to"staying within your bubble" would mean less STI testing would be needed.

The Ministry of Health says the major focus for labs is testing for Covid-19, so demand for other testing was low.

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