There is now a “morning after” pill available for the prevention of certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs) within specific groups. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published a draft recommendation of guidelines for healthcare providers. According to the new guidance, doctors are advised to consider prescribing the commonly used antibiotic doxycycline to at-risk groups, such as gay or bisexual men and transgender women, after unprotected sex. The effectiveness of doxycycline in preventing chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis infections in men who have sex with other men has been proven if taken within 72 hours of exposure. This prophylactic use of doxycycline, known as doxyPEP, could potentially prevent 40% of sexually transmitted infections in these affected groups, as reported by CNN and The Hill.
Doxycycline is already used to treat the same bacterial STIs mentioned above. Some physicians and local health departments have been using it off-label as a preventative measure since studies have shown its effectiveness in this capacity. The concept of post-exposure prophylaxis is not new, as it is already utilized for other infectious diseases like Lyme disease. For example, if there is a concern that someone may have been exposed to Lyme disease through a tick bite, they can be given a single dose of doxycycline. Similarly, a single 200mg dose would be recommended if the CDC’s guidance, which is open for public comment until November 16, becomes official.
(Read more sexually transmitted infection stories on Newser.)
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