{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]],"date-time":"2025-11-17T20:44:59Z","timestamp":1763412299162,"version":"3.45.0"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]],"date-time":"2025-11-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1763337600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>In Togo, the syndromic approach is used for the diagnosis and management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the syndromic approach for diagnosis of STIs among female sex workers (FSW) in Lom\u00e9, Togo.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      A cross-sectional study was carried out from September to October 2023 among FSW in Lom\u00e9 (Togo). FSW aged 18 years and above were included. A gynecological examination was performed for syndromic diagnosis, and the Xpert\u00ae CT\/NG were used to screen vaginal swabs for\n                      <jats:italic>Chlamydia trachomatis<\/jats:italic>\n                      (CT) and\n                      <jats:italic>Neisseria gonorrhoeae<\/jats:italic>\n                      (NG). The performance (predictive values) of the syndromic approach to STI diagnosis was evaluated using the Xpert\u00ae CT\/NG test as the gold standard.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A total of 357 FSW were recruited. The median age of FSW was 32 years (IQR: [26\u201340 years]) and 8.2% had attained a higher level of education. The prevalence of syndromic STI among FSW was 33.3%. Vaginal swabs were positive for CT (8.4%) and NG (8.7%), with a prevalence of bacterial STIs (CT and\/or NG) of 14.3%. The syndromic approach to STI diagnosis demonstrated a positive predictive value of 24.3%.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The prevalence of STIs is relatively high among FSW in Lom\u00e9. According to this study, the diagnosis of STIs using the syndromic approach has limited relevance. National STI screening and management policies urgently need to be rethought, incorporating recent technological advances.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0337100","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]],"date-time":"2025-11-17T18:32:12Z","timestamp":1763404332000},"page":"e0337100","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Syndromic management of sexually transmitted infections among female sex workers in Lom\u00e9 (Togo), 2023"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3678-2054","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Oumarou I. 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