The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week proposed a new guideline for high-risk patients to take the antibiotic known as doxycycline as a morning-after pill to decrease the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). ).
Experts say health officials will likely approve the directive, published Monday in the Federal Register.
The public has 45 days to comment on the proposal.
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The CDC guidelines are based on previous studies that show “demonstrated benefit” in specifically reducing chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis infections after people take a single 200-milligram pill of doxycycline no later than 72 hours after unprotected sexual intercourse.
The CDC initially concluded in its previous 2021 sexually transmitted infection treatment guidelines that additional research was needed to determine whether doxycycline was effective in preventing sexually transmitted infections.
A pharmacist holds a bottle of the antibiotic doxycycline hyclate in Sacramento, California, July 8, 2016. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, file)
Gay, bisexual men and transgender women
Several recent randomized trials have shown, however, that when high-risk patients took doxycycline within three days of unprotected sex, they were significantly less likely to contract chlamydia, syphilis, or gonorrhea than people who did not take doxycycline. not the pill after sex.
Studies have focused on gay and bisexual men as well as transgender women who are at higher risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection.
One of the most important recent studies was published in the New England Journal of Medicine earlier this year.
Studies have focused on gay and bisexual men as well as transgender women who are at higher risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection.
The study showed a two-thirds decrease in the incidence of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia among study participants, all of whom had had a sexually transmitted infection in the previous year.
Currently, there is insufficient evidence that the strategy will equally benefit heterosexual men and women.
“This preventative medication will certainly provide some benefit against the increasing rates of STDs that we’re seeing in this country,” an infectious disease expert told Fox News Digital. “However, this does nothing to address the high-risk behaviors people engage in.” (iStock)
The CDC emphasized in the proposed guidance that the antibiotic is only indicated for gay, bisexual men and transgender women.
“This preventative medication will certainly provide some benefit against the increasing rates of STDs that we are seeing in this country,” said Dr. Aaron Glatt, chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital on Long Island, New York, at Fox News Digital.
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“However, this does nothing to tackle the high-risk behaviors people engage in,” he warned.
“There is concern that such preventative therapies may encourage people to engage in high-risk behaviors, thinking they will be protected.”
STIs have skyrocketed in recent years
Sexually transmitted infections increased 42% between 2011 and 2021, with more than 2.5 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis reported in 2021, according to the CDC.
In 2021, gonorrhea rates increased by more than 4%, syphilis rates increased by approximately 32% for combined stages of infection, and chlamydia rates increased by almost 4%.
Sexually transmitted infections increased 42% between 2011 and 2021, with more than 2.5 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis reported in 2021, according to the CDC. (iStock)
A specific type of syphilis that infants contract at birth, called congenital syphilis, has increased by more than 203% over the past five years, the CDC added.
What is doxycycline?
Doxycycline is a common antibiotic often prescribed to treat acne, prevent Lyme disease, and prevent malaria.
It is also the drug of choice for treating Chlamydia trachomatis, the bacteria that causes the sexually transmitted infection known as chlamydia.
Doxycycline is an inexpensive antibiotic that has been available for over 40 years.
Although penicillin is the drug of choice to treat Treponema pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis, many health care providers currently use doxycycline as an alternative to treat the infection due to the national shortage of penicillin.
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The antibiotic can make patients more sensitive to the sun, so doctors always encourage patients to wear sunscreen while taking the medication.
It can also cause erosions and ulcers in the esophagus. Patients are therefore encouraged to take the medication at least one hour before going to bed.
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Doxycycline is an inexpensive antibiotic that has been available for more than 40 years, according to the Associated Press.
A year ago, the San Francisco Health Department began promoting doxycycline as a next-day prevention measure, the AP also reported.
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