Table 1.
Characteristics of the included studies (N=61).
| Characteristic | Period 1 (1970-2002) | Period 2 (2003-2021) | Period 3 (2022-2023) | |||||||||||
| Studies, n (%) | Patients | Studies, n (%) | Patients | Studies, n (%) | Patients | |||||||||
| Overall, n (%) | 4 (6.6) | 720 (4.9) | 12 (19.7) | 1756 (11.9) | 45 (73.8) | 12,277 (83.2) | ||||||||
| Study type, n (%) | ||||||||||||||
| Observational | 2 (50.0) | 370 (51.4) | 7 (58.3) | 1748 (99.5) | 23 (51.1) | 11,502 (93.7) | ||||||||
|
|
Cross-sectional | 0 | 0 | 4 (33.3) | 550 (31.3) | 15 (33.3) | 10,610 (86.4) | |||||||
|
|
Cohort | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 (11.1) | 704 (5.7) | |||||||
|
|
Prospective cohort | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2.2) | 77 (0.6) | |||||||
|
|
Retrospective case control | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2.2) | 70 (0.6) | |||||||
|
|
Retrospective observational | 2 (50.0) | 370 (51.4) | 3 (25.0) | 1198 (68.2) | 1 (2.2) | 41 (0.3) | |||||||
|
|
Descriptive | 2 (50.0) | 350 (48.6) | 5 (41.7) | 8 (0.5) | 22 (48.9) | 775 (6.3) | |||||||
|
|
Case report | 1 (25.0) | 6 (0.8) | 5 (41.7) | 8 (0.5) | 17 (37.8) | 32 (0.3) | |||||||
|
|
Case series | 1 (25.0) | 344 (47.8) | 0 | 0 | 5 (11.1) | 743 (6.0) | |||||||
| Regions, n (%) | ||||||||||||||
|
|
Africa | 4 (100.0) | 720 (100.0) | 5 (41.7) | 1259 (71.7) | 0 | 0 | |||||||
|
|
Americas | 0 | 0 | 3 (25.0) | 457 (26.0) | 13 (28.9) | 9587 (78.1) | |||||||
|
|
Eastern Mediterranean | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (4.4) | 9 (0.1) | |||||||
|
|
Europe | 0 | 0 | 2 (16.7) | 5 (0.3) | 24 (53.3) | 1680 (13.7) | |||||||
|
|
Western Pacific | 0 | 0 | 2 (16.7) | 2 (0.1) | 2 (4.4) | 10 (0.1) | |||||||
| Patients’ characteristics | ||||||||||||||
|
|
Age (years), median (IQR) | 3 (75.0) | 5.4 (2.7-9.8); 376 (52.2)a | 8 (66.7) | 21.7 (13.6-32.1); 1731 (98.6)a | 45 (100.0) | 34.5 (28.5-42.0); 12,277 (100.0)a | |||||||
|
|
Male, n (%) | 4 (100.0) | 251 (34.9)b | 11 (91.7) | 934 (53.2)b | 45 (100.0) | 10,640 (86.7)b | |||||||
|
|
MSMc, n (%) | 0 | 0d | 0 | 0d | 27 (60.0) | 2340 (88.8)d | |||||||
|
|
HIV, n (%) | 0 | 0e | 2 (16.7) | 11 (18.0)e | 31 (68.9) | 2116 (37.8)e | |||||||
|
|
Syphilis, n (%) | 0 | 0e | 0 | 0e | 9 (20.0) | 125 (18.4)e | |||||||
|
|
Other STIsf, n (%) | 0 | 0e | 0 | 0e | 6 (13.3) | 221 (23.6)e | |||||||
aPatients in the included studies.
bMale patients in the included studies.
cMSM: men who have sex with men.
dMSM patients in the included studies.
ePatients with infection/disease in the included studies.
fSTI: sexually transmitted infection.