Work

Burden of Sexually Transmitted Infections in Rajasthan, India: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Year: 2025

Type: review

Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis

Abstract: BACKGROUND: There is a notable gap persisting in the existing body of evidence regarding the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the general population in India. OBJECTIVES: The primary aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive assessment and quantification of the burden of STIs within the state of Rajasthan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study findings conformed to the criteria outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Two reviewers independently conducted an extensive search across multiple databases, which included PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Shodhganga, along with cross-referencing and manual searches. A standardized data extraction checklist was used to extract the data from the included studies. An appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies was used to assess the risk of bias. A random-effects meta-analysis model was utilized to estimate the pooled prevalence of syphilis among the blood donor population and the general population in Rajasthan. RESULTS: A total of 2575 articles were screened, and 20 studies met the inclusion criteria. The burden of STI in the general population ranges from 2.2% to 9.09% (gonorrhea, n = 2 studies) and 16% (chlamydia, n = 1 study). Of these, 14 studies in blood donors revealed a pooled prevalence of syphilis as 0.04% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.03%-0.05%). Similarly, in the general population, the pooled prevalence was found to be 0.05% (95% CI, 0.04-0.06). CONCLUSION: STIs are an important public health concern with a considerable burden in the population. This review underscores the significance of conducting STI surveillance to identify emerging trends to address specific STIs effectively. In addition, there was a gap in evidence reporting the prevalence of STIs other than syphilis.

Source: Indian Journal of Public Health

DOI: 10.4103/ijph.ijph_1104_24