Medical professionals are using a potential new method of prevention to stop the transmission of syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea, as well as the consequences that could arise if treatment is not received. It’s called DoxyPEP, or post-exposure prophylaxis for the antibiotic doxycycline. Some people compare it to a “morning-after pill” since you take it after engaging in sexual activity that could have put you at risk for a sexually transmitted infection. Having DoxyPEP on hand gave Dustin Hutton-Alcorn, a thirty-three gay man, some comfort in knowing he had an extra way to safeguard his sexual health.
Particularly in the queer culture, it enabled him to become an adult who is responsible. DoxyPEP’s effectiveness was examined in homosexual, bisexual, and queer cisgender men as well as transgender women who were at higher risk for STIs. According to a small but increasing number of research, it considerably decreased those groups’ likelihood of acquiring syphilis, chlamydia, and, to a lesser amount, gonorrhea. Further obstacles to accessibility and knowledge may arise because DoxyPEP is not a certified medicine, and access to it differs based on where you reside.
DoxyPEP Is Not A Panacea And Isn’t For Everybody
Doctors can suggest the widely used drug doxycycline for the treatment of infections caused by bacteria such as syphilis and chlamydia, in addition to diseases like rosacea and acne, and to combat malaria. The only possible adverse impacts are sensitivity to sunlight and disturbed tummy. DoxyPEP is comparable to PrEP (prior exposure prophylaxis), an HIV prevention strategy that involves 2SGBTQ+ individuals who are in danger of HIV infection taking an antiretroviral drug once a day.
When used as directed, PrEP is very successful in lowering the likelihood of acquiring HIV through sexual activity, thereby essentially removing the chance of catching the AIDS-causing virus. The recommended time to take the 200 mg dose of DoxyPEP is twenty-four hours after condom-free oral or anal intercourse, but not more than seventy-two hours. Doxycycline given after infection can lower the chance of contracting syphilis and chlamydia by almost seventy percent, according to three randomized controlled trials.
Although it is less effective at eliminating gonorrhea illnesses, it still lowers the likelihood by approximately fifty percent. Nevertheless, there is no solid proof that DoxyPEP helps transgender men, cisgender women, or those who were designated female at childbirth.
DoxyPEP Is Available To The Most Vulnerable
Despite having lower incidence and rates of infection than chlamydia and gonorrhea, syphilis can have serious problems, including the potential to impair the functioning of organs if treatment is delayed. Other preventative measures like contraception, sex education, examination, and traceability of contacts haven’t slowed syphilis transmission.