Pooled mean estimates for HSV-2 seroprevalence among the different at-risk populations in Latin America and the Caribbean
| Population type | Outcome measures | Samples | HSV-2 seroprevalence (%) | Pooled mean HSV-2 seroprevalence | Heterogeneity measures | |||
| Total N | Total N | Range | Median | Mean (%) (95% CI) | Q* (P value) | I²† (%) (95% CI) | Prediction interval‡ (%) | |
| General populations | 236 | 56 457 | 0.0–71.4 | 19.6 | 20.6 (18.7 to 22.5) | 6495.1 (<0.001) | 96.(96.1 to 96.6) | 1.4–52.5 |
| Women | 139 | 23 959 | 0.0–71.4 | 23.9 | 25.2 (22.5 to 28.0) | 2940.6 (<0.001) | 95.3 (94.8 to 95.8) | 2.7–59.2 |
| Men | 85 | 16 446 | 0.0–64.3 | 10.9 | 14.2 (11.6 to 17.0) | 1914.1 (<0.001) | 95.6 (95.0 to 96.1) | 0.0–44.8 |
| Mixed sexes | 12 | 16 052 | 2.2–35.8 | 15.0 | 16.8 (11.7 to 22.6) | 689.2 (<0.001) | 98.4 (98.0 to 98.8) | 1.7–42.4 |
| Intermediate-risk populations | 24 | 6775 | 3.4–79.2 | 32.2 | 33.3 (26.0 to 41.0) | 817.4 (<0.001) | 97.2 (96.5 to 97.7) | 4.1–72.6 |
| Women | 9 | 1255 | 22.2–79.2 | 43.5 | 49.3 (38.9 to 60.8) | 102.5 (<0.001) | 92.2 (87.4 to 95.2) | 13.4–85.6 |
| Men | 15 | 5520 | 3.4–51.1 | 26.8 | 25.6 (19.5 to 32.2) | 331.0 (<0.001) | 95.8 (94.3 to 96.9) | 4.6–55.6 |
| High-risk populations | 93 | 25 344 | 9.0–100 | 71.2 | 66.2 (61.0 to 71.2) | 6206.7 (<0.001) | 98.5 (98.4 to 98.6) | 18.0–99.3 |
| FSWs | 56 | 9023 | 9.0–100 | 75.0 | 74.8 (70.6 to 78.8) | 901.6 (<0.001) | 93.9 (92.8 to 94.9) | 43.2–96.7 |
| MSWs, MSM and transgender people | 37 | 16 321 | 13.0–39.9 | 50.9 | 54.6 (47.4 to 61.7) | 2851.4 (<0.001) | 98.7 (98.6 to 98.9) | 13.9–91.9 |
| STI clinic attendees and symptomatic populations | 6 | 432 | 38.9–95.0 | 47.0 | 49.2 (41.9 to 56.5) | 8.2 (0.146) | 39.0 (0.0 to 75.8) | 31.3–67.1 |
| Mixed sexes | 6 | 432 | 38.9–95.0 | 47.0 | 49.2 (41.9 to 56.5) | 8.2 (0.146) | 39.0 (0.0 to 75.8) | 31.3–67.1 |
| HIV-positive individuals and individuals in HIV discordant couples | 19 | 2840 | 20.0–88.0 | 65.6 | 67.3 (60.0 to 74.2) | 264.1 (<0.001) | 93.2 (90.7 to 95.0) | 33.8–93.2 |
| Women | 9 | 1354 | 20.0–88.0 | 65.6 | 68.9 (56.2 to 78.6) | 133.4 (<0.001) | 94.0 (90.7 to 96.1) | 25.6–97.7 |
| Men | 5 | 1066 | 42.3–81.1 | 53.0 | 60.6 (45.6 to 74.7) | 83.9 (<0.001) | 95.2 (91.5 to 97.3) | 9.4–99.3 |
| Mixed sexes | 5 | 420 | 61.4–87.0 | 73.0 | 71.9 (62.9 to 80.2) | 13.9 (0.007) | 71.3 (27.4 to 88.7) | 40.0–95.0 |
| Other populations§ | 24 | 3497 | 15.1–82.0 | 56.8 | 51.1 (43.7 to 58.5) | 422.6 (<0.001) | 94.6 (93.0 to 95.8) | 16.5–85.2 |
| Women | 21 | 3225 | 45.1–82.0 | 56.6 | 52.0 (44.2 to 59.8) | 368.7 (<0.001) | 94.6 (92.9 to 95.9) | 17.4–85.5 |
| Men | 2¶ | 172 | 59.6–60.8 | 60.2 | 60.5 (53.0 to 67.8) | – | – | – |
| Mixed sexes | 1¶ | 100 | – | – | 18.0 (11.0 to 26.2) | – | – | – |
*Q: the Cochran’s Q statistic is a measure assessing the existence of heterogeneity in seroprevalence.
†I2: a measure that assesses the magnitude of between-study variation that is due to actual differences in seroprevalence across studies rather than chance.
‡Prediction interval: a measure that estimates the distribution (95% interval) of true seroprevalence around the estimated mean.
§Other populations include populations with an undetermined risk of acquiring HSV-2 infection such as patients with cervical cancer or their spouses.
¶No meta-analysis was done due to the small number of studies (n<3).
FSW, female sex worker; HSV-2, herpes simplex virus type 2; MSM, men who have sex with men; MSW, male sex worker.;