Study designs of evaluations included in the review
No inclusion criteria were specified for the study design. The included studies were described as cross-sectional or surveys.
Specific interventions included in the review
Studies of rapid HIV test kits were eligible for the review. Limited details of the kits used in the included studies were reported, but the majority involved a blood test or an oral fluid test. Some studies compared single and repeat (sequential) testing, and one compared serial and parallel testing.
Reference standard test against which the new test was compared
No inclusion criteria were reported for the reference standard. The reference standards used in studies reporting diagnostic accuracy outcomes varied across studies and were enzyme immunoassay, performed once or twice with or without Western blot; one study used a single Western blot test.
Participants included in the review
Studies of pregnant women tested in the antenatal clinic or delivery room were eligible for the review. The studies were conducted in a variety of different countries and regions, including North and South America, Africa and Asia. The age of the participants in the included studies ranged from 18 to 44 years. The review authors stated that demographic data about participants were poorly reported in many studies.
Outcomes assessed in the review
The studies were required to report outcomes relating to diagnostic accuracy, uptake of tests, patient preference for different rapid tests, and the feasibility and impact of testing, or to identify practical challenges to implementation. The diagnostic accuracy outcomes evaluated were sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
Two reviewers independently screened studies for the review. Any disagreements were resolved by consensus.