Martin Ducret talks to us today about the management of sexually transmitted infections, STIs and preventive treatments to come, but not yet administered.
With Martin Ducret, doctor and journalist at Doctor’s Daily, we are talking today about the management of sexually transmitted infections, STIs. And according to a study, taking an antibiotic after a risky sexual intercourse, would reduce their appearance.
Before talking about this study, what exactly are STIs?
These are infections transmitted during sexual intercourse, with or without penetration. Some are bacterial, such as syphilis or Chlamydia infection, which can be cured with antibiotics. Others are due to viruses such as hepatitis B, genital herpes or HIV. They are difficult, if not impossible, to cure, like HIV.
You can have an STI, without necessarily showing symptoms, and therefore transmit it without realizing it. Only screening – blood test and urine analysis – can tell if you are infected.
And this study, what does it say?
She points out that, among male homosexuals, the risk of developing 3 common bacterial STIs – syphilis, Chlamydia infection and Gonococcal infection – was reduced by 3/4, after taking an antibiotic, doxycycline , within 3 days of risky sexual intercourse. Clearly, doxycycline would be a kind of “morning after antibiotic” which would reduce the appearance of these 3 infections.
But are these encouraging results to be taken with a grain of salt?
Yes indeed. I have already spoken about it in several chronicles: taking antibiotics is not insignificant, it can lead to the appearance of bacteria resistant to antibiotics. This is what happened to a number of patients in the study, who received doxycycline for prevention.
Could this preventive treatment be considered for the general population?
“No not right nowconfirmed to me Dr. Jeanne Goupil, infectiologist at the Avicennes Hospital in Paris. We are first waiting for the green light for certain specific populations, male homosexuals on PreP for example, who are more exposed to the risk of STIs, and who do not systematically use condoms during their sexual relations..” PreP is the daily intake of a very effective drug to avoid being infected with HIV.
Doxycycline, much like PreP, and if other studies confirm its usefulness, could soon become an additional tool for preventing STIs, in these populations at risk, and perhaps, one day, in the general population.
So before doxycycline becomes routine preventive treatment for these 3 infections, more studies are needed. On the one hand, to better assess the risk of bacterial resistance and on the other hand to study more varied populations. Finally, I insist on the fact that the best prevention against STIs remains the condom. It costs less than an antibiotic and there are no side effects!