Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37817160›Full record

Observational studyBMC health services research2023

Acceptability, feasibility and cost of point of care testing for sexually transmitted infections among South African adolescents where syndromic management is standard of care.

Rebecca Marcus, Pike C, K Gill, P Smith, S Rouhani, A Mendelsohn, E Mendel, N Lince-Deroche, K Naidoo, N Ahmed and 5 more

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC health services research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–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

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
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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

15 authors.

Rebecca MarcusDesmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. rebeccamarcus@nhs.net.
Pike CDesmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
K GillDesmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
P SmithDesmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
S RouhaniDesmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
A MendelsohnDesmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
E MendelDesmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
N Lince-DerocheHealth Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
K NaidooDesmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
N AhmedDesmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
O StirrupInstitute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.
J RoseleurHealth Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
R LeunerHealth Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
G Meyer-RathHealth Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
L G BekkerDesmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundYoung people (YP) in southern Africa are at substantial risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Despite the epidemiological and biological link between STIs and HIV transmission and acquisition, infections such as Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) remain widely undiagnosed. Syndromic STI management is the standard of care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) despite a high prevalence of asymptomatic infections. We conducted an observational study to explore the acceptability, feasibility, and cost of a STI test-and-treat service for YP in Cape Town.

methodsYP attending a mobile clinic (MC) and a youth centre clinic (YC) were offered STI screening. Urine testing for CT and NG using a 90-min molecular point-of-care (POC) test on the GeneXpert platform was conducted and treatment provided. Data were collated on demographics, sexual behaviour, presence of symptoms, uptake of same-day treatment, prevalence of CT/NG, and service acceptability.

resultsThree hundred sixty six participants were enrolled (median age 20, 83% female).57% (209/366) of participants tested positive for either CT (126/366, 34%) or NG (57/366, 16%) or co-infection (26/366, 7%). Clinical symptoms were a poor predictor of GeneXpert diagnosed CT or NG, with a sensitivity of 46.8% and 54.0% for CT and NG respectively. Although half of participants initially chose to receive same day results and treatment, only a third waited for results on the day. The majority of participants (91%) rated the service highly via a post-visit acceptability questionnaire.

conclusionCurable STIs are highly prevalent in this population. STI screening using POC testing was feasible and acceptability was high. The study provides further impetus for moving policy beyond syndromic management of STIs in South Africa.

Indexed as

Chlamydia InfectionsGonorrheaHIV InfectionsSexually Transmitted DiseasesAdolescentAdultChlamydia trachomatisFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMaleNeisseria gonorrhoeaePoint-of-Care TestingPrevalenceSouth AfricaStandard of CareAdolescentsCostsSouth AfricaSTIs

Identifiers

PMID37817160
PMCPMC10566254

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.