Table 3 Summary of eligibility criteria

SAMPLE

Studies of stigmatised pelvic symptoms among women from high income countries

Studies including males, unless female data can be separated

Studies including other symptoms, conditions or issues, unless data for stigmatised pelvic symptoms can be separated

IPV or rape; abortion; FGM; infertility; contraception

HIV/AIDS or HPV or attending for HIV/HPV screening

Cancer or attending for cancer screening

Studies that focus on clinicians, health service managers’, or carers’ views

PHENOMENON OF INTEREST

Studies exploring help seeking

Studies that do not explore help seeking

Studies that include seeking help other than for pelvic symptoms, unless these can be separated

Studies that focus on seeking help other than for health reasons (e.g., justice)

Studies that focus on treatment decision making after seeking help

DESIGN

Studies of any design using data collection methods to capture participants’ help-seeking views or experiences (including but not limited to focus groups, interviews, questionnaires, and surveys), and including those reported in systematic reviews

EVALUATION

Studies incorporating participants’ emotions, attitudes, perceptions, barriers, issues, problems, difficulties, facilitators, enablers, life change events, beliefs, feelings, knowledge, and understanding in relation to seeking help

Studies reporting only prevalence rates or predictors for help seeking

RESEARCH TYPE

Peer reviewed qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods primary studies

Unpublished, non-peer reviewed, ‘grey literature’, conference abstracts

OTHER

Context: include studies set in countries with economies similarly developed to the UK (World Bank 2021 Country Classification “high income”)

Language: include studies written in English, German, French, Spanish, and Swedish

Date of publication: from the year of inception of the database searched, to the date of the search

Studies set in any other countries

Studies written in any other language