Sexually transmitted infections self-sampling among sexually active individuals in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol

Introduction Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) pose a huge public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, where prevalence rates are among the highest globally. Barriers such as limited healthcare access, stigma and inadequate diagnostic facilities impede timely detection and treatment. Self-sa...

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Main Authors: Owen Nyamwanza, Itai Kabonga, Tapson Mashanyare
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2025-08-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/8/e100302.full
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author Owen Nyamwanza
Itai Kabonga
Tapson Mashanyare
author_facet Owen Nyamwanza
Itai Kabonga
Tapson Mashanyare
author_sort Owen Nyamwanza
collection DOAJ
description Introduction Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) pose a huge public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, where prevalence rates are among the highest globally. Barriers such as limited healthcare access, stigma and inadequate diagnostic facilities impede timely detection and treatment. Self-sampling for STI testing offers a potential solution to these challenges. This scoping review will systematically map the available evidence on self-sampling for STIs in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on its feasibility, acceptability, implementation and outcomes.Methods and analysis The scoping review will be guided by the Arksey and O’Malley framework. The review will include a comprehensive search of peer-reviewed and grey literature from various repositories and databases. The following databases will be searched: PubMed, Scopus and Global Health. Studies that will be included will meet specific criteria. The results of the review will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols checklist.Ethics and dissemination The methodology used for this study is a scoping review of existing literature; therefore, ethical approval is not required. Findings of this study will be shared at national, regional and international conferences and published in a peer-reviewed journal.Trial registration We registered the protocol with the Open Science Framework.
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spelling doaj-art-cff0f60f793b43cab6f4f6784b68ee362025-08-22T12:15:11ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552025-08-0115810.1136/bmjopen-2025-100302Sexually transmitted infections self-sampling among sexually active individuals in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocolOwen Nyamwanza0Itai Kabonga1Tapson Mashanyare2Centre for Sexual Health & HIV/AIDS Research (CeSHHAR), Harare, ZimbabweCeSHHAR Zimbabwe, Harare, ZimbabweCeSHHAR Zimbabwe, Harare, ZimbabweIntroduction Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) pose a huge public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, where prevalence rates are among the highest globally. Barriers such as limited healthcare access, stigma and inadequate diagnostic facilities impede timely detection and treatment. Self-sampling for STI testing offers a potential solution to these challenges. This scoping review will systematically map the available evidence on self-sampling for STIs in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on its feasibility, acceptability, implementation and outcomes.Methods and analysis The scoping review will be guided by the Arksey and O’Malley framework. The review will include a comprehensive search of peer-reviewed and grey literature from various repositories and databases. The following databases will be searched: PubMed, Scopus and Global Health. Studies that will be included will meet specific criteria. The results of the review will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols checklist.Ethics and dissemination The methodology used for this study is a scoping review of existing literature; therefore, ethical approval is not required. Findings of this study will be shared at national, regional and international conferences and published in a peer-reviewed journal.Trial registration We registered the protocol with the Open Science Framework.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/8/e100302.full
spellingShingle Owen Nyamwanza
Itai Kabonga
Tapson Mashanyare
Sexually transmitted infections self-sampling among sexually active individuals in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol
BMJ Open
title Sexually transmitted infections self-sampling among sexually active individuals in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol
title_full Sexually transmitted infections self-sampling among sexually active individuals in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol
title_fullStr Sexually transmitted infections self-sampling among sexually active individuals in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol
title_full_unstemmed Sexually transmitted infections self-sampling among sexually active individuals in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol
title_short Sexually transmitted infections self-sampling among sexually active individuals in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol
title_sort sexually transmitted infections self sampling among sexually active individuals in sub saharan africa a scoping review protocol
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/8/e100302.full
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AT tapsonmashanyare sexuallytransmittedinfectionsselfsamplingamongsexuallyactiveindividualsinsubsaharanafricaascopingreviewprotocol