Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40451016›Full record

SynthesisDrug and alcohol dependence2025

Sexually transmitted infection prevalence and testing coverage among people who inject drugs: A systematic review.

Olivia Price, Paige Webb, Jason Grebely, Amy Peacock, Nicholas Medland, Phillip Read, Emily Cooke, Matthew Hickman, Peter Vickerman, Louisa Degenhardt

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

Synthesis in Drug and alcohol dependence, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing 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

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

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. 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

10 authors.

Olivia PriceNational Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: o.price@unsw.edu.au.
Paige WebbNational Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.
Jason GrebelyKirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.
Amy PeacockNational Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia; School of Psychological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.
Nicholas MedlandKirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.
Phillip ReadKirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, Australia; Kirketon Road Centre, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Emily CookeNational Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.
Matthew HickmanNational Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia; Population Health Science, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Peter VickermanPopulation Health Science, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Louisa DegenhardtNational Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.

Funding

Optimizing HIV prevention portfolios targeting people who inject drugs using dynamic economic modelingR01AI147490 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI MARTIN, NATASHA · 2019 to 2022
$2.3M
NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI147490
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIndividual- and structural-level factors place people who inject drugs at excess risk of sexually transmitted infections (STI). We reviewed existing evidence on STI prevalence and testing coverage among this population.

methodsWe conducted searches of peer-reviewed and grey literature for papers or reports published between January 2008 and April 2024. Data were summarised using narrative synthesis, and where appropriate, regional and global estimates weighted by population size of people who inject drugs were generated using random effects meta-analysis. Meta-regressions were undertaken to examine study- and country-level sources of heterogeneity.

findingsData on STI prevalence and testing coverage were sparse, which precluded meta-analysis except for syphilis prevalence. We estimated global active syphilis prevalence among people who inject drugs as 3.2 % (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 2.3-4.6). There was regional variation, with estimates ranging from 0.1 % (0-0.3) in North America to 7.2 % (3.6-11.7) in Latin America. Based on a small number of studies (n = 12) that stratified estimates by gender, active syphilis prevalence was higher among women (8.1 %, 3.6-13.7) than men (2.3 %, 1.4-3.5). Higher HIV prevalence among people who inject drugs at both study and country level were associated with higher syphilis prevalence. Chlamydia prevalence estimates (n = 22) ranged 0-12.5 %, gonorrhoea prevalence (n = 20) ranged 0-2 %, and past year STI testing uptake (n = 8) ranged 8-62 %.

interpretationMore evidence on STI prevalence and testing uptake among people who inject drugs is urgently needed. Embedding STI diagnosis and treatment services within bloodborne virus programs could be an effective control measure.

Indexed as

Sexually Transmitted DiseasesSubstance Abuse, IntravenousFemaleHumansMalePrevalenceSyphilisChlamydiaGonorrhoeaPeople who inject drugsSexually transmitted infectionsSyphilis

Identifiers

PMID40451016
PMCPMC13270363

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.