Could a “morning-after” pill protect you from STIs?

Medical professionals working to limit the spread of STIs like Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, and Syphilis may have a new tool on hand to help stop the spread of infection.

The new medicine is called DoxyPEP, an antibiotic pill that acts as a post-exposure prophylactic that could limit the likelihood of developing an STI after a potential exposure.

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How it works

The idea is similar to the “morning-after” pill that helps prevent pregnancies. The medicine comes in tablet form and would be taken within 72 hours after a potential exposure to an STI.

DoxyPEP is meant to reduce the likelihood of infections from bacterial STIs like Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, and Syphilis.

The “doxy” in this acronym stands for “doxycycline,” an antibiotic widely used to treat bacterial infections. It’s often taken to treat dental infections, gastric infections, and acne, and is often prescribed for people travelling to countries with high rates of malaria.

“PEP” means “post-exposure prophylaxis,” meaning DoxyPEP is a preventative treatment used after the initial suspected infection. Post-exposure prophylaxis has been used for a decade to treat HIV.

There is significant evidence to suggest that DoxyPEP can be effective.A study conducted in the US in 2022 found that DoxyPEP led to an 88% reduction in cases of Chlamydia, an 87% reduction in cases of Syphilis, and a 55% reduction in cases of Gonorrhoea.

Why isn’t it more widely available?

Despite the promising initial results from studies, more research is needed to test the drug’s effectiveness. There are also some concerns that the drug may produce some unintended consequences.

Less effective against Gonorrhoea

As outlined above, DoxyPEP seems to be quite effective at preventing Chlamydia and Syphilis infections. However, it seems less effective at preventing Gonorrhoea infections—almost half as effective. More research is needed to find out why this is.

This leads us to the next concern…

Fears of antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic-resistant strains of Gonorrhoea have been on the rise for years.

Many medical researchers are concerned that widespread use of DoxyPEP could result in the bacteria gaining even more resistance to more medications, leaving medical professionals with fewer tools to treat infections.

Ineffective with most women

Most of the data collected on the effectiveness of DoxyPEP has been on gay and bisexual men and trans women. Less data exists for gay and bisexual women and trans men. A study conducted in Kenya found very little benefit for cisgender women.

Does not protect against all infections

DoxyPEP is an antibiotic that will not protect against viral infections like HIV, Herpes, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C, so comprehensive coverage isn’t possible.

No replacement for testing

It’s possible that taking a preventative treatment like DoxyPEP could lull people into a false sense of security, thinking they have eliminated the possibility of an infection after an exposure. This false sense of security may lead someone not to get tested and allow an infection to progress untreated.

Final thoughts

Medical advances occur every day, and a reliable vaccine or pill may be available to cure most infections in the future.

Until that day, though, there is no better way to secure your sexual health than by getting tested for STIs.

If you’re worried about STIs, call the number at the top of this page to speak to one of our trained and friendly Sexual Health Advisors. They can discuss your situation and help you schedule an STI test near you.

You can also start your online booking by clicking the button below.