The Health Research Unit Zimbabwe, Biomedical Research and Training Institute, Harare, Zimbabwe.
MRC International Statistics and Epidemiology Group, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Int J STD AIDS. 2023 Jul;34(8):574-580. doi: 10.1177/09564624231152804. Epub 2023 Mar 24.
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.
A SCVS was used for point-of-care testing for and a urine sample for testing for and . 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 analysis was predominantly deductive.
We recruited 129 women who took up STI testing (median age 20 years, IQR 18-22 years) and conducted 12 IDIs. Most participants reported that they understood the instructions (93.0%) and found SCVS easy (90.7%). Many participants felt relaxed (93.0%), in control (88.4%) and that they had enough privacy (90.7%). Pain or discomfort were reported by 16.3% and embarrassment by 15.5%. Among the 92 (71.3%) participants who provided both a SCVS and urine sample, 60.9% preferred SCVS. Sample collection method preferences were similar between 16-19 and 20-24year-olds. In IDIs, clear instructions, privacy, trust in the service and same-day results were perceived as important facilitators to taking up SCVS. Participants frequently described feeling relaxed and confident whilst taking a SCVS. Pain and discomfort were uncommon experiences.
SCVS for STI testing are acceptable to young women and a feasible method of sample collection in community-based settings.
年轻人是性传播感染（STI）的高风险群体。为了增加 STI 检测的机会，需要方便的采样和检测方法。我们评估了在津巴布韦的一个社区性和生殖健康服务机构中，年轻女性（16-24 岁）接受自我采集阴道拭子（SCVS）进行 STI 检测的可接受性。
使用 SCVS 进行即时检测，并采集尿液样本进行 和 的检测。通过问卷调查来评估 SCVS 与自我采集尿液样本的可接受性。深入访谈（IDIs）则用于探讨 SCVS 的经验以及采样偏好的原因。定性分析主要是演绎式的。
我们招募了 129 名接受 STI 检测的女性（中位数年龄 20 岁，IQR 18-22 岁），并进行了 12 次 IDIs。大多数参与者报告说，他们理解了说明（93.0%），并发现 SCVS 很容易（90.7%）。许多参与者感到放松（93.0%）、有掌控感（88.4%）和足够的隐私（90.7%）。有 16.3%的人报告有疼痛或不适，15.5%的人报告尴尬。在 92 名（71.3%）提供了 SCVS 和尿液样本的参与者中，有 60.9%更喜欢 SCVS。16-19 岁和 20-24 岁的参与者对样本采集方法的偏好相似。在 IDIs 中，清晰的说明、隐私、对服务的信任和当天的结果被认为是接受 SCVS 的重要促进因素。参与者经常描述在采集 SCVS 时感到放松和自信。疼痛和不适是不常见的体验。
SCVS 用于 STI 检测在年轻女性中是可以接受的，并且是社区环境中可行的采样方法。
