You may have heard of doxyPEP, which stands for doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis. It involves taking an antibiotic called doxycycline after having sex without a condom. This can help prevent certain bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as chlamydia, syphilis and possibly gonorrhea. This prevention strategy is relatively new but has been gaining attention across the country as another way to help reduce high rates of STIs. Although interest in using doxyPEP is growing, there is no global standard for its use. This prompted the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to publish recommendations that give health professionals evidence-based advice to...

Studies have found that the antibiotic doxycycline, when taken after sexual exposure, can significantly reduce the risk of some bacterial sexually transmitted infections like chlamydia and syphilis. However, it is generally less effective at reducing the risk of gonorrhea. Some researchers are concerned that over the long term, widespread use of doxycycline as post-exposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP) may diminish the antibiotic’s effectiveness, or even weaken the efficacy of some other antibiotics. Is this concern realistic? And if so, are the benefits worth the risk? Clinical trials The initial clinical trial of doxyPEP in San Francisco and Seattle found low rates of...