Talking about links between sexually transmitted infections and infertility with college and university students from SE England, UK: a qualitative study

Background Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea are largely symptomless diseases which, left untreated, can result in serious complications including infertility. Fertility problems currently affect approximately one in seven couples in the UK and there is increasing demand for couples seeking reproductive technologies. Young people are at greatest risk of contracting STIs, therefore this study aimed to identify young people’s knowledge and beliefs about the link between untreated STIs and infertility. Methods Focus groups were conducted with participants aged 16–24 years old inclusive in college or university settings in the SE of England. Groups were quota sampled on the basis of age and gender. A topic guide was used. The data were analysed using a framework analysis approach. Results Ten single-sex focus groups were conducted with sixty participants: six groups of college students and four groups of university students. Participants were generally aware of the link between STIs and potential infertility and considered the discussion of this subject very relevant at their age. Knowledge about how and why STIs potentially lead to fertility complications was poor. The issues of blame relating to infertility following an STI emerged, although most participants did not think that access to free reproductive technologies after an untreated STI should be limited. Conclusions Young people would benefit from more education in order to improve their understanding of the long-term consequences of untreated STIs, such as infertility. Participants in our sample felt these were extremely relevant and important issues for them to understand alongside current education about STIs

The diagnostic concordance of whole slide imaging and light microscopy: a systematic review

Context: Light microscopy (LM) is considered the reference standard for diagnosis in pathology. Whole slide imaging (WSI) generates digital images of cellular and tissue samples and offers multiple advantages compared to LM. Currently, WSI is not widely used for primary diagnosis. The lack of evidence regarding concordance between diagnoses rendered by WSI and LM is a significant barrier to both regulatory approval and uptake. Objective: To examine the published literature on the concordance of pathological diagnoses rendered by WSI compared to those rendered by LM. Data Sources: We conducted a systematic review of studies assessing the concordance of pathological diagnoses rendered by WSI and LM. Studies were identified following a systematic search of Medline, Medline in progress, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library between 1999 and March 2015. Conclusions: Thirty eight studies were included in the review. The mean diagnostic concordance of WSI and LM, weighted by the number of cases per study, was 92.4%. The weighted mean κ coefficient between WSI and LM was 0.75, signifying substantial agreement. Of the 30 studies quoting percentage concordance, 18 (60%) showed a concordance ≥90%, of which 10 (33%) showed a concordance ≥95%. This review found evidence to support a high level of diagnostic concordance. However, there was a limited number of studies, many were small and they varied in quality, suggesting that further validation studies are still needed