{
  "abstract": "Introduction Military personnel are a unique population with heightened vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), often exhibiting higher prevalence rates than civilians due to demographic, environmental and occupational factors. These vulnerabilities underscore the need for global prevalence estimates to guide effective, evidence-based interventions. This study aims to quantify the global burden of STIs among military personnel, providing a comprehensive and up-to-date assessment.Methods and analysis This systematic review will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Guidelines (2020). Using the CoCoPop (Condition, Context, and Population) framework, a comprehensive search strategy will be conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, Global Health and Scopus to retrieve peer-reviewed records published between January 2010 and June 2025. Eligible studies will report numerical STI prevalence data among military personnel. Studies with insufficient information to calculate prevalence or those relying on self-reported STI data will be excluded. Data extraction will include study details, military descriptors, STI prevalence and diagnostic methods. Risk of bias will be assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical assessment tool for prevalence and incidence studies. Prevalence estimates with 95% CIs will be reported for each STI and, where appropriate, pooled for curable STIs. Subgroup analyses will stratify prevalence by geographic region, service status, deployment status and socioeconomic factors. Heterogeneity will be evaluated within predefined subgroups using the I² statistic. Data will be presented in comprehensive tables and visualised with graphical tools, including forest plots for subgroup analyses and pooled estimates.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required for this review. The results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication and conference presentations.PROSPERO registration number CRD42023472113.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Community Health Sciences, Institute of Global Public Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Esther Susanna Shoemaker"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Community Health Sciences, Institute of Global Public Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Emma Sandstrom"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Cody Daniel Dangerfield"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Neil John Maclean Health Sciences Library, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Janice Linton"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "National Microbiology Laboratory, Sexually Transmitted Bloodborne Infections, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada",
        "Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Francois Cholette"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Community Health Sciences, Institute of Global Public Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Leigh Michelle McClarty"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Community Health Sciences, Institute of Global Public Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Lisa Lazarus"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Community Health Sciences, Institute of Global Public Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Nicole Herpai"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Community Health Sciences, Institute of Global Public Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Daryna Pavlova"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Medical Research Council Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Michael Pickles"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Community Health Sciences, Institute of Global Public Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Marissa Becker"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections among military personnel: a systematic review protocol",
  "uid": "82980229-71e0-5286-8c83-4b2afd2134d7"
}