After years of rising rates of syphilis and chlamydia among queer men, it appears a new tool is helping to curb infections.
A study says that taking DoxyPEP reduced the incidence of chlamydia and syphilis by around 80%.
DoxyPEP is short for Doxycycline Post-Exposure Prophylaxis. It involves taking a single 200 mg dose of the antibiotic doxycycline within 72 hours of a sexual encounter to minimize the chances of acquiring an STI such as gonorrhea, chlamydia or syphilis.
Previous studies have noted that it appears to work best in reducing chlamydia and syphilis. Also, the sooner you take it after a sexual encounter, the better.
A new study published this week in JAMA Internal Medicine echoed these findings.
It tracked 11,551 people (95.1% of whom were male) receiving PrEP in northern California. Of these, 2,253 were also given DoxyPEP.
Those given DoxyPEP reported a drop of 79% for chlamydia, 80% for syphilis, and 12% for gonorrhea.
“Substantial declines”
“This study found that receipt of doxyPEP was associated with substantial declines in chlamydia and syphilis incidence and modest declines in urethral and rectal gonorrhea incidence among individuals using HIV PrEP,” it concluded. It says that wider use of DoxyPEP could have “substantial benefits” for bringing down STI rates.
San Francisco allowed clinics to start prescribing DoxyPEP in late 2022. A study in early 2024 found that those taking the medication in the city reported a 58% drop in STIs. The reduction was most pronounced for chlamydia.
Then, last November, the CDC reported a 2% drop in STI numbers across the US. This comes after following years of surging rates.
This drop included a 13% reduction in syphilis among gay men (who make up half of all such cases in the US). Experts believe this is due to key cities—such as San Francisco, New York and Chicago—prescribing DoxyPEP.
