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

Abstract

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. 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. 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. We registered the protocol with the Open Science Framework.