SynthesisSexually transmitted infections2017
A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating the performance and operational characteristics of dual point-of-care tests for HIV and syphilis.
Synthesis in Sexually transmitted infections, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 62 papers, 6 of them syntheses 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
62 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The impact of the National Syphilis Prevention Program on the prevalence of syphilis among people living with HIV in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2025Pooled it
- Independent clinic-based evaluation of dual POCTs for screening for HIV and syphilis in men who have sex with men in Italy, Malta, Peru, and the United Kingdom.BMC infectious diseases · 2024Pooled it
- Barriers and facilitators to HIV and syphilis rapid diagnostic testing in antenatal care settings in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review.BMJ global health · 2022Pooled it
- The impact of antenatal syphilis point of care testing on pregnancy outcomes: A systematic review.PloS one · 2021Pooled it
- Diagnosing sexually transmitted infections in resource-constrained settings: challenges and ways forward.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2019Pooled it
- Self-collection of samples as an additional approach to deliver testing services for sexually transmitted infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ global health · 2019Pooled it
- Secondary Distribution of Dual HIV/Syphilis Self-Testing Among Men Who Have Sex With Men: Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial in China.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2025Trial
- A multifaceted intervention to improve syphilis screening and treatment in pregnant women in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Lusaka, Zambia: a cluster randomised controlled trial.The Lancet. Global health · 2019Trial
- Rapid/point-of-care syphilis testing in high-income countries: insights and implementation challenges from the authors' experience in Canada.Journal of clinical microbiology · 2026Review
- Diagnostic performance evaluation of the Abbott Bioline™ HIV/Syphilis Duo rapid test at the national public health laboratory, Yaounde-Cameroon.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Performance of the bioLytical Multiplex HIV 1/2 and Syphilis rapid test on serum in a laboratory evaluation for syphilis.Microbiology spectrum · 2025Article
- Prevalence and Factors Associated With Sexually Transmitted Infections Among People who Inject Drugs in the San Diego-Tijuana Border Region.Open forum infectious diseases · 2025Article
- The contribution of PrEP programmes to triple elimination efforts: a cross-sectional study of status and opportunities.Frontiers in reproductive health · 2025Article
- The social lives of point-of-care tests in low- and middle-income countries: a meta-ethnography.Health policy and planning · 2024Article
- Clinic-based evaluation of point-of-care dual HIV/syphilis rapid diagnostic tests at primary healthcare antenatal facilities in South Africa and Zambia.BMC infectious diseases · 2024Article
- Clinical Updates in Sexually Transmitted Infections, 2024.Journal of women's health (2002) · 2024Review
- A clinical utility evaluation of dual HIV/Syphilis point-of-care tests in non-clinical settings for screening for HIV and syphilis in men who have sex with men.BMC infectious diseases · 2024Article
- Detecting sexually transmitted infections beyond the syndromic approach: lessons from a rural setting in Chiapas, Mexico.Frontiers in reproductive health · 2024Article
- Fetal and neonatal outcomes in syphilis infected pregnant women in Reunion Island: An observational retrospective multicentric study.PloS one · 2024Observational
- The feasibility and impact of deploying a four-tests panel at antenatal care in primary health care facilities of a developing country, Kenya.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
2 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of syphilis and HIV continue to be important yet preventable causes of perinatal and infant morbidity and mortality.
objectivesTo systematically review, critically appraise and perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the operational characteristics of dual rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for HIV/syphilis and evaluate whether they are cost effective, acceptable and easy to use.
designSystematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: We searched seven electronic bibliographic databases from 2012 to December 2016 with no language restrictions. Search keywords included HIV, syphilis and diagnosis. REVIEW
methodsWe included studies that evaluated the operational characteristics of dual HIV/syphilis RDTs. Outcomes included diagnostic test accuracy, cost effectiveness, ease of use and interpretation and acceptability. All studies were assessed against quality criteria and assessed for risk of bias.
resultsOf 1914 identified papers, 18 were included for the meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy for HIV and syphilis. All diagnostic accuracy evaluation studies showed a very high sensitivity and specificity for HIV and a lower, yet adequate, sensitivity and specificity for syphilis, with some variation among types of test. Dual screening for HIV and syphilis was more cost effective than single rapid tests for HIV and syphilis and prevented more adverse pregnancy outcomes. Qualitative data suggested dual RDTs were highly acceptable to clients, who cited time to result, cost and the requirement of a single finger prick as important characteristics of dual RDTs.
conclusionThe results of this systematic review and meta-analysis can be used by policy-makers and national programme managers who are considering implementing dual RDTs for HIV and syphilis. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO 2016:CRD42016049168.
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.