Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34246332›Full record

SynthesisThe Lancet. Global health2021

Prevalence of syphilis among men who have sex with men: a global systematic review and meta-analysis from 2000-20.

Motoyuki Tsuboi, Jayne Evans, Ella P Davies, Jane Rowley, Eline L Korenromp, Tim Clayton, Melanie M Taylor, David Mabey, R Matthew Chico

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The Lancet. Global health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 131 papers, 13 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
131citing papers in PubMed, 13 pooled it
20.4field-weighted citation impact, top 1% 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

131 citing papers in PubMed, 13 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 240 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Epidemiology ofBMJ global health · 2026
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  16. Clearance ofEClinicalMedicine · 2026
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71 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.

Motoyuki TsuboiDepartment of Disease Control, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Jayne EvansDepartment of Disease Control, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Ella P DaviesDepartment of Disease Control, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Jane RowleyLondon, UK.
Eline L KorenrompAvenir Health, Geneva, Switzerland.
Tim ClaytonDepartment of Medical Statistics, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Melanie M TaylorDepartment of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of STD Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
David MabeyDepartment of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
R Matthew ChicoDepartment of Disease Control, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK. Electronic address: matthew.chico@lshtm.ac.uk.
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GBCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · US

Funding

Intramural CDC HHS CC999999Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 203905/Z/16/ZWorld Health Organization 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe WHO Global Health Sector Strategy aims to reduce worldwide syphilis incidence by 90% between 2018 and 2030. If this goal is to be achieved, interventions that target high-burden groups, including men who have sex with men (MSM), will be required. However, there are no global prevalence estimates of syphilis among MSM to serve as a baseline for monitoring or modelling disease burden. We aimed to assess the global prevalence of syphilis among MSM using the available literature.

methodsIn this global systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, and AIM databases, and Integrated Bio-Behavioral Surveillance (IBBS) reports between April 23, 2019, and Feb 1, 2020, to identify studies done between Jan 1, 2000, and Feb 1, 2020, with syphilis point prevalence data measured by biological assay among MSM (defined as people who were assigned as male at birth and had oral or anal sex with at least one other man in their lifetime). Studies were excluded if participants were exclusively HIV-infected MSM, injection-drug users, only seeking care for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or genital symptoms, or routine STI clinic attendees. Data were extracted onto standardised forms and cross-checked for accuracy and validity. We used random-effects models to generate pooled prevalence estimates across the eight regions of the Sustainable Development Goals. We calculated risk of study bias based on the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies, and stratified results based on low versus high risk of bias. This systematic review and meta-analysis was registered with PROSPERO, CRD42019144594.

findingsWe reviewed 4339 records, 228 IBBS reports, and ten articles from other sources. Of these, 1301 duplicate records were excluded, 2467 records were excluded after title and abstract screening, and 534 articles were excluded after full-text analysis. We identified 345 prevalence data points from 275 studies across 77 countries, with a total of 606 232 participants. Global pooled prevalence from 2000-20 was 7·5% (95% CI 7·0-8·0%), ranging from 1·9% (1·0-3·1%) in Australia and New Zealand to 10·6% (8·5-12·9%) in Latin America and the Caribbean.

interpretationUnacceptably high syphilis prevalence among MSM warrants urgent action.

fundingWellcome Trust.

Indexed as

Global HealthHomosexuality, MaleHumansMalePrevalenceSyphilis

Identifiers

PMID34246332
PMCPMC9150735
OpenAlexW3179531506

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.