Taking this common antibiotic after sex could help prevent STDs

As STDs are on the rise, a new study claims that taking a joint antibiotic after unprotected sex can help prevent common STDs like chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea.

The study, published in the journal Science, was conducted on a majority of queer men and found that the antibiotic reduced the risk of chlamydia and gonorrhea by 60%. The results will be presented at the Annual International AIDS Conference in Montreal.

Photo by Renate Vanaga via Unsplash

RELATED: Study links modern herpes variants to kissing during this time

The study enrolled 544 participants at high risk for sexually transmitted diseases. One group of participants was asked to take the antibiotic after unprotected sex, while another simply received standard STI testing and treatment. The participants were informed about their group.

The antibiotic is called doxyPEP and usually has few side effects, it is commonly used to treat conditions like acne and Lyme disease, and can be used to treat parasites like malaria. The study was so successful in preventing sexually transmitted diseases that the researchers did not have to continue the study. “This is very encouraging,” said Carlos del Rio, an HIV/AIDS clinician at Emory University School of Medicine.

Still, there are some caveats. Researchers believe that using the drug after unprotected sex could develop resistance in the body and stop working as effectively. They also argue that some STDs go away on their own and have relatively few symptoms and side effects, while antibiotics in the gut produce effects that can be uncomfortable.

RELATED: Does Your Gut Affect Your Urges to Drink?

Despite the caveats, it’s an important study that could soon yield real-world results, especially for queer men, a demographic exposed to a rising number of sexually transmitted diseases. Currently, the CDC recommends getting tested frequently for STDs, getting the necessary vaccines, and using condoms regularly.