A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 4 trials. Any intervention vs control demonstrated no statistically significant effect on HIV incidence (0.97, 95% CI 0.78 - 1.2; 4 trials, n=23 981). Combining the mass treatment trial and one of the STI management trials, a significant reduction in the prevalence of syphilis for those receiving a biomedical STI intervention (RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.80 - 0.96), and for gonorrhoea (RR 0.49, 95% CI 0.31 - 0.77) was shown. Finally, for chlamydia, we found no significant difference between any biomedical intervention and control (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.77 - 1.4).
Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by imprecise results (limited study size for each comparison) and by indirectness (differences in studied settings and reported outcomes).
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