Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sexual Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Over one million people globally contract STIs daily.
• Current STI screening in France relies on lab-based testing with prescriptions, posing barriers for LGBT individuals.
• At-home self-sampling offers a potential solution to structural and social barriers in STI screening.

Approach:

• A narrative review was conducted to examine existing at-home self-sampling interventions.
• The review focused on how these interventions address the needs of specific populations, including men who have sex with men (MSM), women who have sex with women (WSW), and transgender people.
• Nine interventions met the inclusion criteria, with most originating from English-speaking countries.

Key Points:

• Data on sexual orientation was not systematically reported in the reviewed studies.
• Transgender individuals were often underrepresented, limiting sub-analysis.
• Interventions tested for various infections, including Chlamydia (CT), Gonorrhea (NG), HIV, and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV).

Conclusions:

• At-home self-sampling interventions can complement traditional testing services.
• Targeted advertisement towards WSW could improve uptake.
• Integrating broader sexual health services into self-sampling interventions is recommended.