Factsheet: use of Doxycycline-PEP for STI prevention

Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance has published a new factsheet on the use of Doxycycline as PEP for STI prevention.

READ THE FACTSHEET

In Canada, gay, bisexual, and other men-who-have-sex-with-men (gbMSM) and trans women are disproportionately impacted by sexually-transmitted infections (STIs)

Doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is a health promotion initiative aimed to reduce and prevent STIs in these populations.

WHAT IS DOXYCYCLINE? Doxycycline is an inexpensive antibiotic prescribed to treat acne, malaria, and bacterial STIs. Doxycycline belongs to a class of drugs known as tetracycline antibiotics.

Recent research findings suggest that it can be taken before or after condomless sex to prevent certain bacterial STIs. When doxycycline is taken after condomless sex, it is known as ‘doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis’ or ‘doxy-PEP’ to prevent STIs.

There have been various research studies on doxycycline to prevent STI acquisition in trans women, gbMSM, and cisgender women.

The finding from these studies, which have been presented at various large conferences are summarized in this resource.

Doxy-PEP reduced chlamydia infection risk reduced by 70%, while syphilis infection risk decreased by 73%.

Please speak to your healthcare provider for further information about whether doxycycline is right for you.