Acceptability of self-collected vaginal swabs for sexually transmitted infection testing among youth in a community-based setting in Zimbabwe.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Youth are a high-risk group for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). To increase access to STI testing, convenient approaches for sampling and testing are needed. We assessed the acceptability of self-collected vaginal swabs (SCVS) for STI testing among young women (16-24 years) attending a community-based sexual and reproductive health service in Zimbabwe.

Methods

A SCVS was used for point-of-care testing for Trichomonas vaginalis and a urine sample for testing for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. A questionnaire was administered to investigate the acceptability of SCVS versus self-collected urine samples. In-depth interviews (IDIs) explored the experience of SCVS and reasons for sample collection preference. Qualitative an

SUBMITTER: Rochford H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10273862 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature