Female condom use among adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol investigating availability and consistent use factors

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) remain the most affected by HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) due to their biological and social vulnerabilities. Female condoms were introduced in the '90s to empower women to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs), notably HIV infections. Despite its empowering potential with the scale-up of prevention efforts such as pre-exposure prophylaxis, the female condom has experienced a steady decline, particularly among AGYW. In this protocol, we outline the steps for conducting a scoping review aimed at exploring and mapping the literature on female condom availability and consistency in use for the prevention of HIV/STI infections among AGYW in SSA.

Methods and analysis: The Joanna Briggs Institute methodology guidelines, alongside the Arksey and O'Malley framework, will be used in conducting the review. Relevant literature will be searched from PUBMED/Medline, Web of Science, Cumulative Index of Nursing, Google Scholar, grey reports and conference proceedings. Two reviewers will independently assess the identified literature for eligibility using predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data from eligible studies published in English and French, between July 2004 and 2024, will be extracted using an Excel form. Extracted data will be summarised, detailing the nature of existing evidence and investigating female condom availability and consistent use factors.

Ethics and dissemination: The scoping review will entail synthesising information from already published articles, conference proceedings and grey sources and will not require ethical approval. The findings from this study will be disseminated through publications in scientific journals and presented at conferences and workshops.

Keywords: Adolescents; HIV & AIDS; Vulnerable Populations.

Figure 1. Study selection flow chart process from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension form for Scoping Reviews.