Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30518620›Full record

ArticleSexually transmitted infections2019

Results from a cross-sectional sexual and reproductive health study among school girls in Tanzania: high prevalence of bacterial vaginosis.

Suzanna C Francis, Christian Holm Hansen, Julia Irani, Aura Andreasen, Kathy Baisley, Vicky Jespers, Tania Crucitti, John Changalucha, Richard J Hayes, Soori Nnko and 2 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Sexually transmitted infections, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 27 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Observational
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.

Suzanna C FrancisLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK suzanna.francis@lshtm.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-3724-4813
Christian Holm HansenLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Julia IraniMwanza Intervention Trials Unit, National Institute for Medical Research, Mwanza, Tanzania.
Aura AndreasenLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Kathy BaisleyLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Vicky JespersInstitute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
Tania CrucittiInstitute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
John ChangaluchaNational Institute for Medical Research, Mwanza, Tanzania.
Richard J HayesLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Soori NnkoNational Institute for Medical Research, Mwanza, Tanzania.
Deborah Watson-JonesLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Anne BuvéInstitute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GBInstituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde · BENational Institute for Medical Research · TZMwanza Intervention Trials Unit · TZUniversity of London · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council G0700837Medical Research Council G1002369Medical Research Council MR/K012126/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesBacterial vaginosis (BV) increases women's susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV and may partly explain the high incidence of STI/HIV among girls and young women in East and southern Africa. The objectives of this study were to investigate the association between BV and sexual debut, to investigate other potential risk factors of BV and to estimate associations between BV and STIs.

methodsSecondary school girls in Mwanza, aged 17 and 18 years, were invited to join a cross-sectional study. Consenting participants were interviewed and samples were obtained for STI and BV testing. Factors associated with prevalent BV were analysed using multivariable logistic regression. Y-chromosome was tested as a biomarker for unprotected penile-vaginal sex.

resultsOf the 386 girls who were enrolled, 163 (42%) reported having ever had penile-vaginal sex. Ninety-five (25%) girls had BV. The prevalence of BV was 33% and 19% among girls who reported or did not report having ever had penile-vaginal sex, respectively. BV was weakly associated with having ever had one sex partner (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.59;95% CI 0.93 to 2.71) and strongly associated with two or more partners (aOR = 3.67; 95% CI 1.75 to 7.72), receptive oral sex (aOR 6.38; 95% CI 1.22 to 33.4) and having prevalent human papillomavirus infection (aOR = 1.73; 95% CI 1.02 to 2.95). Of the 223 girls who reported no penile-vaginal sex, 12 (5%) tested positive for an STI and 7 (3%) tested positive for Y-chromosome. Reclassifying these positive participants as having ever had sex did not change the key results.

conclusionsTanzanian girls attending school had a high prevalence of BV. Increasing number of sex partner was associated with BV; however, 19% of girls who reported no penile-vaginal sex had BV. This suggests that penile-vaginal sexual exposure may not be a prerequisite for BV. There was evidence of under-reporting of sexual debut.

Indexed as

Sexual BehaviorStudentsAdolescentCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansIncidencePapillomavirus InfectionsPrevalenceReproductive HealthRisk FactorsTanzaniaVaginosis, BacterialadolescentAfricabacterial vaginosiswomen

Identifiers

PMID30518620
PMCPMC6580744
OpenAlexW2902681935

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.