CDC Recommends Morning-After Pill For Gay Men, Trans Women To Prevent STIs

The US Centre for Disease Control has given its seal of approval for a morning-after pill for gay men and trans women to prevent common STIs like chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis. 

The CDC has called it “a new approach to addressing STI prevention in populations at increased risk for these infections” and has invited comments on proposed guidelines for the use of doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (Doxy PEP). 

Doxy PEP  has, according to the CDC,  demonstrated benefits in reducing chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis infections and could prevent around 40 per cent of STIs in populations that are at risk.

DoxyPEP Within 72 Hours After Sex

Randomised trials were conducted by researchers at the San Francisco Department of Health, Zuckerberg San Francisco General, University of California, San Francisco, and the University of Washington. The study found that a single dose of doxycycline 200 mg within 72 hours after oral, anal, or vaginal sex,  “significantly reduced” the incidence of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis in gay men and trans women who were living with HIV or taking PrEP. 

“Taking doxycycline was also safe and well-tolerated by participants, with no drug-related serious adverse events,” the San Francisco Department of Public Health said in October 2022.

“Doxy-PEP is the first biomedical prevention tool that has been shown to be effective and well-tolerated, community awareness is growing, and many providers in SF are already prescribing DoxyPEP to their patients at risk for STIs,” the agency added. 

STIs Increasing

1. From 2011-2021 reported #STIs have increased 42%, with more than 2.5 million cases reported in 2021 alone. If left untreated, STIs can have serious health consequences, including increased #HIV risk. We need a new option in the toolbox to curb this epidemic. (2/6)

— Dr. Jono Mermin (@DrMerminCDC) October 2, 2023

The CDC’s call for comments comes at a time when the incidence of STIs caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae (which causes gonorrhoea), Chlamydia trachomatis (that causes chlamydia), and Treponema pallidum (causative agent of syphilis) continues to rise in the United States. 

“Novel approaches are needed to address the STI epidemic, especially for populations disproportionately affected,” said the CDC. 

Between 2011 and 2021, STIs have increased by 42 per cent, with more than 2.5 million cases reported in 2021 alone. “If left untreated, STIs can have serious health consequences, including increased HIV risk. We need a new option in the toolbox to curb this epidemic,” Dr. Jono Mermin, Director of CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, said in a thread on X (formerly Twitter). 

“Current research indicates the benefits of using DoxyPEP outweigh the risks for populations included in the successful studies, including some gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, and transgender women. Modelling data suggest that prescribing DoxyPEP could avert about 40% of STIs in populations for whom it is recommended,” said Dr Mermin.