ArticleSexually transmitted diseases2016
Intravaginal Practices and Prevalence of Sexual and Reproductive Tract Infections Among Women in Rural Malawi.
Article in Sexually transmitted diseases, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Understanding Women's Vaginal Douching Behaviors and Practices for Consideration in the Development of a Potential Future Vaginal Microbicide Douche for HIV Prevention: A Systematic Review of the Literature.AIDS and behavior · 2021Pooled it
- Effects of a comprehensive menstrual and sexual reproductive health intervention on RTI symptoms among adolescent girls in the Mwanza region: a mixed-methods analysis.Reproductive health · 2025Article
- Bridging the GAP: Probiotic Douches Redefining the Feminine Hygiene.Current pharmaceutical biotechnology · 2025Review
- The Vaginal Microbiome in Health and Disease-What Role Do Common Intimate Hygiene Practices Play?Microorganisms · 2023Review
- Cervical cancer screening coverage and its related knowledge in southern Malawi.BMC public health · 2022Article
- Low-cost diagnostic test for susceptible and drug-resistant tuberculosis in rural Malawi.African journal of laboratory medicine · 2018Article
- Exploring the Vaginal Microbiome and Intravaginal Practices in Postmenopausal Women.Nursing researchArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMany women engage in intravaginal practices (IVP) with a goal of improving genital hygiene and increasing sexual pleasure. Intravaginal practices can disrupt the genital mucosa, and some studies have found that IVP increases risk of acquisition of HIV and bacterial vaginosis (BV). Limited prior research also suggests significant associations between IVP, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), and high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV).
methodsWe examined associations between IVP and HPV, BV, and HSV-2 among 200 women in rural Malawi participating in a clinic-based study on sexual and reproductive tract infections. We calculated prevalence ratios for the associations between frequency and type of IVP and outcomes of HPV, BV, and HSV-2.
resultsIntravaginal practices were commonly performed, with 95% of women reporting current use of at least 1 practice. Infections were also frequently detected: Twenty-two percent of the sample had at least 1 high-risk HPV type, 51% had BV, and 50% were HSV-2 seropositive. We observed no significant associations between type of IVP, frequency of IVP, or a combined measure capturing type and frequency of IVP-and any of the infection outcomes.
conclusionsAlthough both IVP and our outcomes of interest (BV, HPV, and HSV-2) were common in the study population, we did not detect associations between IVP type or frequency and any of the 3 infections. However, the high prevalence and frequency of IVP may have limited our ability to detect significant associations.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.