Mapping Evidence of Self-Sampling to Diagnose Sexually Transmitted Infections in Women: A Scoping Review

Ziningi N Jaya; Witness Mapanga; Brian van Niekerk; Thobeka Dlangalala; Kabelo Kgarosi; Mathias Dzobo; Delarise Mulqueeny; Tivani P Mashamba-Thompson

doi:10.3390/diagnostics12081803

Mapping Evidence of Self-Sampling to Diagnose Sexually Transmitted Infections in Women: A Scoping Review

Diagnostics (Basel). 2022 Jul 26;12(8):1803. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics12081803.

Authors

Ziningi N Jaya^{1

2}, Witness Mapanga¹, Brian van Niekerk³, Thobeka Dlangalala¹, Kabelo Kgarosi⁴, Mathias Dzobo¹, Delarise Mulqueeny⁵, Tivani P Mashamba-Thompson⁶

Affiliations

¹ School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.
² Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Natural Science, Mangosuthu University of Technology, Umlazi 4031, South Africa.
³ Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.
⁴ Department of Library Services, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.
⁵ Department of Social Work, Faculty of Arts, University of Zululand, Richards Bay 3900, South Africa.
⁶ Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.

Abstract

Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a major global healthcare burden, disproportionately affecting women. Self-sampling interventions for diagnostic purposes have the potential to improve STI healthcare management and expand STI services. However, there is currently no published evidence of the global use of self-sampling interventions to diagnose STIs in women. The main aim of this scoping review was to map evidence on the use of self-sampling interventions to diagnose STIs in women.

Methodology: The methodology of this scoping review was guided by Arksey and O'Malley and Levac. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Medline (EBSCO), ProQuest, and Cochrane. For grey literature, a search was conducted in Open Grey, World Health Organization, Google, and conference proceedings and dissertations. All search results were screened and assessed for eligibility. Thereafter data from eligible studies was extracted and analysed. The quality of these studies was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool 2018 version.

Results: A total of 770 articles were retrieved from databases and grey literature sources. A total of 44 studies were eligible for data extraction following title, abstract and full-text screening. Of the included studies, 63% presented evidence of research conducted in high-income countries and 37% presented evidence in low- and middle-income countries. Studies presented evidence on the following: feasibility of self-sampling in remote areas; acceptance and ease of use of self-sampling interventions; types of self-sampled specimens; pooled samples for diagnosing STIs; laboratory diagnostic assays for STI using self-sampled specimens; and self-testing of self-sampled specimens.

Conclusions: Self-sampling interventions are feasible and easy to use and, therefore, can improve STI management and treatment in women across various age groups and various access levels to good-quality healthcare. Despite this, there is a lack of evidence of self-sampling interventions designed according to user preferences. We recommend studies to collaborate with women to co-develop user-friendly self-sampling interventions to diagnose STIs in women.

Keywords: self-sample; sexually transmitted disease; women.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.