SynthesisThe Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine2016
Sexually Transmitted Infection Services for Adolescents and Youth in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Perceived and Experienced Barriers to Accessing Care.
Synthesis in The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 81 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
81 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Enablers and barriers to primary health care access for Indigenous adolescents: a systematic review and meta-aggregation of studies across Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and USA.BMC health services research · 2024Pooled it
- Applying technology to promote sexual and reproductive health and prevent gender based violence for adolescents in low and middle-income countries: digital health strategies synthesis from an umbrella review.BMC health services research · 2022Pooled it
- Adolescent condom use in Southern Africa: narrative systematic review and conceptual model of multilevel barriers and facilitators.BMC public health · 2021Pooled it
- Implementation Strategies to Enhance Youth-Friendly Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review.Frontiers in reproductive health · 2021Pooled it
- Assessing youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services: a systematic review.BMC health services research · 2018Pooled it
- A systematic review of the use of adolescent mystery clients in assessing the adolescent friendliness of health services in high, middle, and low-income countries.Global health action · 2018Pooled it
- Help and Care Seeking for Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Youth in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.Sexually transmitted diseases · 2017Pooled it
- Navigating recruitment and retention challenges in a social media health intervention in francophone West Africa.Health promotion international · 2025Trial
- Trial
- How a menu of adherence support strategies facilitated high adherence to HIV prevention products among adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa: a mixed methods analysis.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2023Trial
- "It was difficult to offer same day results": evaluation of community-based point-of-care testing for sexually transmitted infections among youth using the GeneXpert platform in Zimbabwe.BMC health services research · 2022Trial
- Uptake of and factors associated with testing for sexually transmitted infections in community-based settings among youth in Zimbabwe: a mixed-methods study.The Lancet. Child & adolescent health · 2021Trial
- Developing the Seeking Sexual Healthcare Services Scale among emerging adults.Journal of health psychology · 2026Article
- Pooled prevalence, spatial variation and associated factors of risky sexual behavior among sexually active men and women aged 15-49 years in sub-Saharan Africa, 2015-2024: evidence from Demographic and Health Survey.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Barriers to access and use of sexual reproductive health and human immunodeficiency virus services among adolescent girls and young women in Maputo City, Mozambique.African journal of reproductive health · 2026Article
- Increasing young people's use of sexual and reproductive health services in government health facilities in rural Kenya.PloS one · 2026Article
- Factors Associated With the Syndromic Diagnosis of Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW): Findings From the Namibia DREAMS Program.Journal of tropical medicine · 2026Article
- Experiences and coping behaviours of clients with sexually transmitted infections in Malawi.Health SA = SA Gesondheid · 2026Article
- Health seeking behavior and prevalence of self-reported symptoms of reproductive tract infection among women of reproductive age group in Dehradun District, Uttarakhand.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2025Article
- Feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a package of interventions to improve the performance of health workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo to deliver adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health services.Global health action · 2025Article
21 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
purposeAccess to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services is vital for sexually active adolescents; yet, their SRH care needs are often unmet.
methodsWe conducted a qualitative systematic review of mixed methods studies to assess adolescent and provider views of barriers to seeking appropriate medical care for sexually transmitted infection (STI) services for adolescents. We searched peer-reviewed literature for studies published between 2001 and 2014 with a study population of youth (aged 10-24 years) and/or health service providers. Nineteen studies were identified for inclusion from 15 countries. Thematic analyses identified key themes across the studies.
resultsFindings suggest that youth lacked knowledge about STIs and services. In addition, youth experienced barriers related to service availability and a lack of integration of services. The most reported barriers were related to acceptability of services. Youth reported avoiding services or having confidentiality concerns based on provider demographics and some behaviors. Finally, experiences of shame and stigma were common barriers to seeking care.
conclusionsAdolescents in low- and middle-income countries experience significant barriers in obtaining STI and SRH services. Improving uptake may require efforts to address clinic systems and provider attitudes, including confidentiality issues. Moreover, addressing barriers to STI services may require addressing cultural norms related to adolescent sexuality.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.