A new clinical trial has found that taking a “morning after” dose of the antibiotic doxycycline within 72 hours of unprotected sex can greatly lower the chances of sexually transmitted bacterial infections in high-risk individuals. The trial focused on gay and bisexual men and transgender women who either had HIV or were taking medication to help prevent HIV and had been diagnosed with a bacterial STI in the past year. Over one year, participants using doxycycline were two-thirds less likely to be diagnosed with a bacterial STI. Preventive doxycycline was most effective against chlamydia and syphilis, cutting the risks of those infections by close to 90% in HIV-negative people and by well over 70% in those with HIV. The efficacy against gonorrhea was less, but those infections were still cut by 55%. Experts said the findings showed that the approach to prevention is “highly effective” and is needed at a time when sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are rising at a “scary” rate. The United States has seen a worrying comeback in bacterial STIs that had previously been on the decline, with 2.4 million Americans contracting chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis in 2020, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Discovered on: 2023-04-06 18:44:00
Source: ‘Morning After’ Antibiotics May Reduce Common STD Risk
