What You Need To Know
In the last 10 years, NJDOH has reported record highs of chlamydia (increased 22%), gonorrhea (increase 26%) and syphilis (increased 324%) cases among New Jerseyans. In an effort to reduce rates of STIs across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published new guidelines for healthcare providers on the use of doxy PEP for gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and transgender women with a history of at least one bacterial STI (specifically syphilis, chlamydia or gonorrhea) diagnosed in the past 12 months.
In the report, CDC recommends that providers discuss this option with the aforementioned populations. If doxy PEP is offered to patients, CDC recommends providing a prescription for doxy PEP to be self-administered within 72 hours after having oral, vaginal, or anal sex. NJDOH recommends providers consider prescribing 60/120/180 tabs of doxycycline hyclate or monohydrate immediate release 100mg dispensed to ensure eligible patients have timely access to doxy PEP depending on their reported sexual activity and shared decision making between the patient and provider. The recommended dose of doxy PEP is 200 mg and should not exceed a maximum dose of 200 mg every 24 hours. More details are in the published guidelines (see below).
Doxy PEP, when offered, should be implemented in the context of a comprehensive sexual health approach, including risk reduction counseling, comprehensive STI screening and treatment, recommended vaccination and linkage to HIV PrEP, HIV care, or other services as appropriate. Persons who are prescribed doxy PEP should undergo bacterial STI testing at anatomic sites of exposure at baseline and every 3–6 months thereafter. Ongoing need for doxy PEP should be assessed every 3–6 months as well. HIV screening should be performed for HIV-negative MSM and TGW according to current recommendations.