Vaginal Self-Sampling as a Diagnosis Tool in Low-Income Countries and Potential Applications for Exploring the Infectious Causes of Miscarriage

Abstract

Gynecological health is a challenge in low-income countries. Personal opposition to perineal examination has been overcome by the use of vaginal self-sampling. Here, we review the use of this procedure notably in low-income countries and the main infectious causes of miscarriage. Vaginal self-sampling was mainly used for human papillomavirus detection but also to detect microorganisms causing sexually transmitted infections or bacterial vaginosis. 58 studies have been performed in low-resource countries, mainly studies performed to detect human papillomavirus in urban and peri-urban areas and demonstrating excellent acceptability. Several infectious causes of miscarriage could be tested using self-vaginal samples. In the future, such strategies coupled with a rapid-identification point-of-care method could allow the development of screening and treatment programs in rural areas in low-resource countries.

KEYWORDS:

• Borrelia spp.
• Coxiella burnetii
• HPV
• Listeria monocytogenes
• low-income countries
• miscarriage
• point-of-care
• sexually transmitted infections
• vaginal self-sampling
• vaginosis

Acknowledgements

We thank TradOnline [130] for providing English corrections.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at:www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.2217/fmb-2016-0179