High Burden of Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Sexually Transmitted Infections in a Routine Decentralised HIV Care Setting in Eswatini: A Cross-Sectional Study

First-void urine samples showed significantly higher detection rates of HPV-specific IgG antibodies compared to midstream urine, confirming the necessity of capturing the initial stream. The study found no significant difference between 10 mL and 20 mL collection volumes, indicating flexibility in device specifications for self-collection.

The importance of first-void urine for assessing HPV-specific antibodies: A comparison with midstream urine — Van Caesbroeck et al., Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics · source ↗

• first-void
• sti
• self-collection
• serology
• hpv
• urine

The bivalent HPV vaccine showed 100 percent effectiveness against vaccine types 16 and 18 seven years post-vaccination in Thai schoolgirls, but only 32.8 percent effectiveness against other high-risk types, indicating limited cross-protection. The study used first-void urine self-collection for HPV DNA detection, demonstrating a scalable, non-invasive approach for vaccine effectiveness monitoring in decentralised settings.

Effectiveness of HPV vaccine as part of national immunization program for preventing HPV infection in Thai schoolgirls after seven years post-vaccination — Nilyanimit et al., Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics · source ↗

• first-void
• sti
• self-collection
• serology
• hpv
• urine

In a Toronto clinic sample of 442 men who have sex with men, HIV‑positive individuals showed significantly higher prevalences of syphilis, hepatitis B and C, HSV‑2, CMV and high‑risk anal HPV than HIV‑negative men, while chlamydia and gonorrhoea were uncommon. The use of blood serology, urine and self‑collected anal swabs enabled comprehensive STI surveillance, supporting routine screening in this high‑risk population.

Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Viral and Bacterial Infections in HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Men Who Have Sex with Men in Toronto — Remis et al., PloS one · source ↗

• blood
• urine
• self-collection
• serology
• hpv
• sti

This meta-analysis found that HPV testing using self-collected vaginal and urine samples showed sensitivities of 88.6% and 81% for detecting cervical precancer. Using a standardised device for first-void urine increased sensitivity to 86.6%, supporting decentralised patient-centric screening, though data on specificity and specific commercial devices were not consistently reported.

Diagnostic Performance of HPV Testing Using Self-Collected Urine and Vaginal Samples for Detecting Cervical Precancer or Worse: A Meta-Analysis — Hsiao et al., The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research (paywalled) · source ↗

• urine
• first-void
• self-collection
• validation
• hpv
• sti

A study of 2500 women found 99.0% agreement between first-void urine and vaginal self-sampling for HPV detection using Cobas4800, with 98.1% of participants preferring urine. Although conducted in a resource-limited setting which may limit generalisability, these results support urine as a viable sample type for decentralised, patient-centric screening.

Comparative efficacy, feasibility and acceptability of HPV DNA testing on first-void urine versus self-collected vaginal samples: a real-world study in a resource-limited setting — Bose et al., BMJ global health · source ↗

• urine
• first-void
• self-collection
• acceptability
• hpv
• sti