reduces the number of infections up to 92%
Health authorities have long warned of an unstoppable rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs), a crisis that has researchers scrambling to find methods of combating this type of disease. This week, the Munich AIDS Conference featured two studies advocating the use of the antibiotic Doxycycline to prevent this type of pathology. A daily dose of this drug can prevent some of these pathologies from developing in patients.
One study conducted in Canada examined the effects of doxycycline on gay men. The volunteers were tested for STDs every three months and their microbial resistance to the drug was monitored. The authors noted that one tablet a day reduced the incidence of syphilis by 79%. that chlamydia is 92% and gonorrhea by 68%. Another study conducted in Japan examined the effectiveness of the drug in sex workers. According to these scientists, after the study period, the incidence of the disease decreased by more than 60%.
“These results do not represent a ‘before and after’, but are an addition to previous studies on the topic,” says Jordi Casabona, a representative of the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC). The director of the Epidemiological Research Centre for Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT) believes that the samples of the studies presented in Munich are very small. In total, 41 and 40 people, respectively, were studied. The expert adds that to obtain more reliable data, we need population studies with very large samples and with longer follow-up.
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Another study looked at the use of doxycycline to prevent STIs after sex. These studies showed that it was effective in reducing the likelihood of getting STIs when taken. within 72 hours of sexual contactThe US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) went further and recommended it last month in an attempt to stop the epidemic of infections plaguing the country.
Still many affairs to find out the usefulness of doxycycline as a preventative measure against STIs. One of the unresolved issues is the side effects that this drug may cause in the long term in people who may take it continuously. The expert fears that continuous use may affect the patient’s bacterial flora and contribute to increased resistance to this antibiotic.
Casabonna is clear in her opinion and believes that until all aspects of its use are known, it should be recommended in very specific cases. The SEIMC representative believes that it should be an intervention that will be decided on individually by health professionals. people at very high risk of these infections. It is important that it covers a short period of time and that the doctor is convinced that it can actually benefit the patient.
STIs in Spain
Gonorrhea in Spain increased by more than 130% between 2020 and 2022. (the latest year for which data is available), according to the Ministry of Health’s report for this year. The number of gonorrhea cases has increased from 10,065 cases in 2020 to 23,333 in 2022. It is followed by chlamydia infections, which increased from 14,739 to 26,518 over the same period. Syphilis has increased the least, although its progress is also worrying: from 5,115 cases four years ago, it has increased to 8,141 two years ago. Most of the victims are young men.
SEIMC representative explains how “dramatic” an increase in STIs, but warns that this is nothing new. “There is no need to raise the alarm, but rather to ensure a planned and comprehensive scientific response from public health and social services,” he adds. Most patients with these infections are men aged 20 to 34 who have sex with other men. Moreover, the spread of STIs is closely linked to a decrease in condom use, says Casabona. According to the XI Barometer of Spaniards and Sex from Control, 42% of young Spaniards aged 18 to 26 say they do not use this preventive measure in their sexual relationships.
The Importance of Mindfulness
The CEEISCAT director fears that measures such as the use of doxycycline as a preventive treatment for these pathologies could lead to even less condom use and risky behavior is increasing. Casabonna stresses the importance of raising public awareness of the importance of using this preventive measure. “At the moment, it is a discredited measure and is very little used,” he laments.
In addition to such pharmacological solutions and physical barriers (condoms), structural measures such as sex education. “(Doxycycline) is not a magic cure that will solve the problem of these diseases,” emphasizes the SEIMC representative. The expert emphasizes the necessity and importance of this last factor in preventing these pathologies. At the same time, he says that 35% of young people do not know what an STI is. Casabona claims that society is going through a good moment in terms of rights and demands to live freely and enjoyably with sex. For this reason, he concludes, “young people need to have all the information, to have such a relationship with all this and without risk.”