SynthesisBMC medical ethics2026
Missing assent: a global systematic review of ethical practices in HIV research with men who have sex with men (MSM) under 18.
Synthesis in BMC medical ethics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundEthical safeguards are critical in HIV research involving minors, especially vulnerable groups such as men who have sex with men (MSM) under 18 years. This systematic review explores how informed assent and consent practices are reported, guided by the 2016 Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) guidelines.
methodsA systematic review was conducted of peer-reviewed studies from 2010 to 2023 involving MSM under 18 years, using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases. Key ethical components were extracted and synthesized thematically.
resultsOf 410 articles screened, 65 met inclusion criteria. All included studies reported informed consent, but only 20% (n = 13) included informed assent. Most were conducted in high-income countries (64%), with no representation from low-income settings. Only 7% involved minors living with HIV. Quantitative methods were predominant (82%), and 20% used online platforms. Waivers of parental permission were reported in 27% of studies, while only 3% obtained parental permission. Four studies described tailored consent/assent approaches, such as simplified language, comprehension checks, and involvement of minor advocates.
conclusionThis review highlights inconsistencies in how informed assent is addressed in HIV research involving MSM minors. Only one in five studies described ethically appropriate, youth-tailored processes. Limited use of waivers and adapted assent procedures points to ongoing gaps in aligning research with ethical standards. Future studies should adopt clearer, age-appropriate consent practices, ensure transparent reporting, and strengthen researcher training in ethics involving vulnerable minors.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.