Which of the following is listed as a specimen type for NAAT testing?

• A. Nasal swabs
• B. Vaginal swabs or urine specimens
• C. Blood samples
• D. Saliva samples

Answer: (B)

NAATs detect infections by amplifying the pathogen’s genetic material, so the specimen chosen should reliably contain the target organism. For STI screening in women, vaginal swabs or first-void urine are the standard specimen types because they consistently capture Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae and NAATs on these samples are highly validated and accurate.

Other specimen types belong to different testing contexts: nasal swabs are typical for respiratory pathogens, blood is used for certain systemic infections, and saliva is used in some assays but not the preferred or validated specimen for the common genital infections tested with NAAT in this setting. Thus, vaginal swabs or urine specimens are the listed NAAT specimen types in this scenario.