Borji-Navan Sanam, Mogharabian Nasser
Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran.
Assistant Professor of Andrology and Urology, Sexual Health and Fertility Research Center, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran.
PLoS One. 2025 Aug 14;20(8):e0329899. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0329899. eCollection 2025.
This scoping review aims to systematically map the landscape of infertility screening in unmarried women.
Infertility screening in unmarried women represents a significant and often neglected area within reproductive health. This population faces unique challenges and barriers, including social stigma, cultural norms, and limited access to care, making a comprehensive understanding of current screening practices essential.
Study selection will be guided by the PCCT framework (Population, Concept, Context, and study type), considering diverse study designs (quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, reviews) and grey literature, focusing on infertility screening in unmarried women.
This scoping review will follow the PRISMA-ScR guidelines and utilize a 14-step framework based on Arksey and O'Malley's methodology, incorporating enhancements by Tricco and Peters. A comprehensive search strategy will be employed, using controlled vocabulary and free-text method. Databases of Web of Science (ISI), PubMed, Scopus and search engines like Google Scholar will be searched, and supplemented by forward and backward citation tracking. Inclusion/exclusion criteria will be applied iteratively. Two independent reviewers will screen titles/abstracts and full texts, resolving disagreements through consensus or a third reviewer. Data will be charted using a predefined template, and findings will be presented in tables and diagrams, accompanied by a narrative synthesis.
This scoping review will provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge regarding infertility screening in unmarried women, a significantly under-researched area. The findings will be critical for informing the development of culturally sensitive guidelines, targeted interventions, and future research to address the reproductive health needs of this underserved population.
本范围综述旨在系统地描绘未婚女性不孕筛查的现状。
未婚女性的不孕筛查是生殖健康领域中一个重要但常被忽视的领域。这一人群面临着独特的挑战和障碍，包括社会耻辱感、文化规范以及获得医疗服务的机会有限，因此全面了解当前的筛查实践至关重要。
研究选择将以PCCT框架（人群、概念、背景和研究类型）为指导，考虑多种研究设计（定量、定性、混合方法、综述）以及灰色文献，重点关注未婚女性的不孕筛查。
本范围综述将遵循PRISMA-ScR指南，并采用基于阿克西和奥马利方法的14步框架，纳入特里科和彼得斯的改进方法。将采用综合检索策略，使用控制词汇和自由文本方法。将检索科学网（ISI）、PubMed、Scopus等数据库以及谷歌学术等搜索引擎，并通过向前和向后引文跟踪进行补充。纳入/排除标准将反复应用。两名独立评审员将筛选标题/摘要和全文，通过共识或第三名评审员解决分歧。数据将使用预定义模板进行图表化，研究结果将以表格和图表形式呈现，并伴有叙述性综合分析。
本范围综述将全面概述未婚女性不孕筛查这一研究严重不足领域的当前知识状况。研究结果对于制定具有文化敏感性的指南、有针对性的干预措施以及未来研究以满足这一服务不足人群的生殖健康需求至关重要。
