Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33782145›Full record

ArticleSexually transmitted infections2021

Sexual health (excluding reproductive health, intimate partner violence and gender-based violence) and COVID-19: a scoping review.

Navin Kumar, Kamila Janmohamed, Kate Nyhan, Laura Forastiere, Wei-Hong Zhang, Anna Kågesten, Maximiliane Uhlich, Afia Sarpong Frimpong, Sarah Van de Velde, Joel M Francis and 6 more

Abstract readScoping Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Sexually transmitted infections, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
21citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

21 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Sex and Gender Influences on the Impacts of Disasters: A Rapid Review of Evidence.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Changes in Solo and Partnered Sexual Behaviors following the First COVID-19 Wave: Data from an International Study of 26 Countries.International journal of sexual health : official journal of the World Association for Sexual Health · 2023
    Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. COVID-19 complications in males and females: recent developments.Journal of comparative effectiveness research · 2022
    Review
  19. Article
  20. Article
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

16 authors.

Navin KumarDepartment of Sociology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA navin183@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0003-4502-069X
Kamila JanmohamedDepartment of Sociology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Kate NyhanHarvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Laura ForastiereDepartment of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA.
Wei-Hong ZhangSchool of Public Health, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium.
Anna KågestenDepartment of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Maximiliane UhlichDepartment of Psychology, University of Friborg, Fribourg, Switzerland.
Afia Sarpong FrimpongDepartment of Sociology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Sarah Van de VeldeDepartment of Sociology, Centre for Population, Family and Health, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
Joel M FrancisDepartment of Family Medicine and Primary Care, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg-Braamfontein, Gauteng, South Africa.
Jennifer Toller ErausquinPublic Health Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4271-6077
Elin LarrsonDepartment of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Deton CallanderDepartment of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
John ScottSchool of Social Justice, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Victor MinichielloSchool of Social Justice, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Joseph TuckerUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated existing socioeconomic and health disparities, including disparities in sexual health and well-being. While there have been several reviews published on COVID-19 and population health disparities generally-including some with attention to HIV-none has focused on sexual health (ie, STI care, female sexual health, sexual behaviour). We have conducted a scoping review focused on sexual health (excluding reproductive health (RH), intimate partner violence (IPV) and gender-based violence (GBV)) in the COVID-19 era, examining sexual behaviours and sexual health outcomes.

methodsA scoping review, compiling both peer-reviewed and grey literature, focused on sexual health (excluding RH, IPV and GBV) and COVID-19 was conducted on 15 September 2020. Multiple bibliographical databases were searched. Study selection conformed to Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Reviewers' Manual 2015 Methodology for JBI Scoping Reviews. We only included English-language original studies.

resultsWe found that men who have sex with men may be moving back toward pre-pandemic levels of sexual activity, and that STI and HIV testing rates seem to have decreased. There was minimal focus on outcomes such as the economic impact on sexual health (excluding RH, IPV and GBV) and STI care, especially STI care of marginalised populations. In terms of population groups, there was limited focus on sex workers or on women, especially women's sexual behaviour and mental health. We noticed limited use of qualitative techniques. Very few studies were in low/middle-income countries (LMICs).

conclusionsSexual health research is critical during a global infectious disease pandemic and our review of studies suggested notable research gaps. Researchers can focus efforts on LMICs and under-researched topics within sexual health and explore the use of qualitative techniques and interventions where appropriate.

Indexed as

Sexual HealthCOVID-19FemaleHumansMaleSARS-CoV-2COVID-19HIVsexual and gender minoritiessexual healthsex work

Identifiers

PMID33782145
PMCPMC8380886

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.