Widespread DoxyPEP Use ‘Significantly’ Reduced STI Rates In San Francisco
Image: Unsplash Glodi Miessi
New real-world data has shown that wide use of doxyPEP led to lower sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates in San Francisco.
DoxyPEP (doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis)involves taking a single 200mg dose of the antibiotic doxycycline within 72 hours after sex.
Significant Drop In Chlamydia And Syphilis
In 2022, San Francisco recommended doxyPEP for gay and bisexual men, and transgender people.
This week, at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2024), researchers presented the results of this recommendation.
According to the data, since 2022, cases of chlamydia and syphilis have dropped significantly. Overall, there was a 58 percent decrease in STIs for those taking DoxyPEP. This included a 67 percent drop in chlamydia and a 78 percent drop in syphilis.
Dr Hyman Scott from the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s Magnet sexual health clinic said, “When we opened this up and offered it as part of routine sexual health services, there was a strong demand.”
Scott added, “Despite reservations about widespread adoption, including concerns about antimicrobial resistance, the proactive distribution of doxyPEP stands poised as a powerful tool to prevent STIs across our communities.”
‘ACON Supports The Introduction Of DoxyPEP In NSW’
In a statement to Star Observer, Nicolas Parkhill, CEO of ACON, NSW’s leading LGBTQ health organisation, supports the introduction of doxyPEP in NSW.
Parkhill said, “ACON supports the introduction of doxyPEP in NSW to help prevent the transmission of several common STIs. From our experience of the HIV preventative medication PrEP and its rapid uptake in NSW, we know our communities respond well to having a range of options that enables them to take control of their sexual health.
He continued, “When it comes to preventing STIs, in addition to condoms, we need new and innovative approaches like non-condom based STI prevention strategies to compliment regular sexual health testing in order to drive down transmission rates, and this is something that doxyPEP can offer us.”
Highly Effective
This is not the first data that shows the significant reduction in STIs attributed to doxyPEP.
According to a reports by aidsmap, in 2017, the IPERGAY pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) trial by Professor Jean-Michel Molina of the Paris Cité University showed similar results. It showed a drop in chlamydia infections by 70 percent and a drop in syphilis by 73 percent.
In 2022, Professor Annie Luetkemeyer of the University of California San Francisco reported that doxyPEP reduced the risk STIs by 66 percent. Luetkemeyer’s study was actually stopped a year earlier because of it “high efficacy”.
DoxyPEP may not be for everyone. Speak to your doctor or sexual heath practitioner first.
