{"id":6223,"date":"2023-08-03T03:33:35","date_gmt":"2023-08-02T20:33:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=6223"},"modified":"2023-08-03T03:33:35","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T20:33:35","slug":"doxypep-what-it-is-and-how-to-get-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=6223","title":{"rendered":"DoxyPEP: What It Is, and How To Get It"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"drop-cap text-big text-gray\"> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">S<\/span>exually transmitted infections (STIs) have been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/when-to-get-sti-testing\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/when-to-get-sti-testing\/\">increasing at an alarming rate<\/a> in the U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/std\/statistics\/2021\/default.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/std\/statistics\/2021\/default.htm\">Data<\/a> from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows that cases of syphilis in particular have climbed dramatically, along with gonorrhea.<\/div>\n<p>To combat these increases, doxycycline, an antibiotic marketed as DoxyPEP, is now being prescribed as a \u201cmorning-after pill\u201d of sorts that you can use to prevent bacterial STIs after having unprotected sex. But don&#8217;t throw out your condoms just yet. Read on to find out who this pill can help, and how it works.<\/p>\n<h2>What is DoxyPEP (doxycycline)?<\/h2>\n<p>Doxycycline has been around the block a few times, and has proven itself effective. It&#8217;s been used as an antibiotic and disease preventative since the 1960s, and is powerful enough to prevent life-threatening diseases like malaria and anthrax.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<hr\/>\n<p>Healthcare providers already use DoxyPEP to treat chlamydia, and sometimes syphilis and gonorrhea. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nejm.org\/doi\/full\/10.1056\/NEJMoa2211934\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.nejm.org\/doi\/full\/10.1056\/NEJMoa2211934\">study<\/a> published in the <em>New England Journal of Medicine <\/em>earlier this year showed that it also reduces transmission of bacterial infections\u2014like syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia\u2014when used prophylactically (meaning, for prevention purposes before symptoms arise). The CDC now plans to release guidelines for prophylactic use later this summer.<\/p>\n<p>In order to be effective when used this way, you need to <a href=\"https:\/\/howardbrown.org\/service\/doxypep\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/howardbrown.org\/service\/doxypep\/\">take two 200mg DoxyPEP tablets within 72 hours<\/a> after having condomless sex. Experts say the sooner, the better. You don\u2019t need to know your partner\u2019s infection status to use it. You also don\u2019t need to wait until you\u2019ve had condomless sex to get a prescription.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/doxypep\/\" current-title=\"A \u2018Morning-After Pill for STIs\u2019 Is Now Available via Telehealth\" current-image=\"GettyImages-doxypep-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-02-02\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/doxypep\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/doxypep\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/doxypep\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Fortunately, since it\u2019s an older drug, it&#8217;s relatively inexpensive and readily available. Even without insurance, DoxyPEP should run you around $22.<\/p>\n<p>The caveats: DoxyPEP is by no means a 100-percent guarantee that you won\u2019t contract your partner\u2019s STI\u2014though it can greatly diminish your risk. And like all antibiotics, DoxyPEP is ineffective against viral diseases, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/free-hiv-prevention-pill-insurance\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/free-hiv-prevention-pill-insurance\/\">HIV<\/a> and monkeypox. It also won\u2019t prevent pregnancy, and isn\u2019t a cure for STIs.<\/p>\n<h2>Who Is DoxyPEP recommended for?<\/h2>\n<p>In its current iteration as DoxyPEP, doxycycline is being primarily prescribed for men who have sex with men and transwomen who have sex with men. However, no one, including ciswomen, is exempt from acquiring a prescription.<\/p>\n<p>As of now, we only have evidence (from the 2023 study) that doxycycline can be successfully repurposed to prevent bacterial infections in men who have sex with men and in transwomen who have sex with men. Some of this study\u2019s participants were living with an HIV infection; others were taking preventative medications against HIV. Every participant had already been diagnosed with an STI within the past year. Doxycycline produced an overall 65 percent reduction in new STI infections in these populations.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/35710444\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/35710444\/\">Studies<\/a> have also been done on cisgender women, primarily in Kenya. These studies have produced less promising results, but the reasons why are not clear.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor people with vaginas, we don&#8217;t have enough evidence to confirm that this medication is effective for preventing STIs. The best studies showing the efficacy of this treatment have looked at DoxyPEP in people who were born with penises,\u201d says certified nurse practitioner <a href=\"https:\/\/neighborcare.org\/clinic-staff\/adrienne-ton-arnp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/neighborcare.org\/clinic-staff\/adrienne-ton-arnp\/\">Adrienne Ton, APRN-CNP,<\/a> of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tbd.health\/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.tbd.health\/about\">TBD Health<\/a>, a sex-positive healthcare company.\u00a0Ton would like to see more research on DoxyPEP for cisgender women who have receptive vaginal sex, but for now, she doesn\u2019t currently recommend it to her cisgender women patients.<\/p>\n<h2>How to safely use DoxyPEP<\/h2>\n<p>DoxyPEP is meant for one-time or occasional use after you\u2019ve had condomless sex\u2014not as a daily or near-daily preventative. Even though doxycycline is fairly well-studied, its use as an STI preventive is still very new. It\u2019s not known yet how much is too much, so experts don\u2019t recommend using it too often, or instead of condoms.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoxyPEP is only one tool\u00a0among a whole strategy of approaches for promoting sexual health and preventing disease, a strategy which might include things like\u00a0regular STI testing, HIV PrEP, contraception, and condoms\/dental dams,\u201d says Ton. If you routinely get tested for STIs, don\u2019t stop testing because you\u2019ve used DoxyPEP.<\/p>\n<p>Many medical professionals\u2014including Ton\u2014are concerned that overuse of DoxyPEP may increase the risk of antibiotic resistance and vulnerability to \u201csuperbugs.\u201d (Certain strains of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/std\/gonorrhea\/drug-resistant\/default.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/std\/gonorrhea\/drug-resistant\/default.htm\">gonorrhea<\/a> are already antibiotic-resistant.)<\/p>\n<p>Side effects are also possible. The most common ones are headache, stomachache, and nausea. And doxycycline is in the tetracycline class of antibiotics, which may make you more sensitive to sunburns than you usually are.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also worth noting that dairy products and calcium supplements may reduce DoxyPep\u2019s effectiveness. You\u2019ll want to go over the other prescriptions and supplements you currently take with your doctor.<\/p>\n<h2>Where to get DoxyPEP<\/h2>\n<p>Many doctors are already prescribing DoxyPEP for their high-risk patients, and some insurance companies are covering the medication.<\/p>\n<p>If you prefer, you can also get a prescription for DoxyPEP through <a href=\"https:\/\/clicks.trx-hub.com\/xid\/leafgroup_ca5e0_wellgood?q=https%3A%2F%2Fgo.skimresources.com%3Fid%3D104860X1561639%26xs%3D1%26xcust%3DSTMSHL-1098869%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fhellowisp.com%252Fproducts%252Fdoxy-pep&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellandgood.com%2Fdoxypep%2F&amp;event_type=click\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/hellowisp.com\/products\/doxy-pep\">Wisp<\/a>, a sexual-health-focused telehealth company, which offers home delivery or pickup at your local pharmacy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnyone of any gender or sex can receive a prescription for DoxyPEP through Wisp,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/suneer-chander-b743107\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/suneer-chander-b743107\/\">Suneer Chander, MD<\/a>, Wisp\u2019s medical director. \u201cDoxycycline is considered low-risk, which is why Wisp is confident in prescribing DoxyPEP to all of our patients,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<p>Anything that makes sex safer and more joyful is a very good thing. It&#8217;s worth celebrating that DoxyPEP can offer one more tool to help you enjoy your love life without compromising your health.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been increasing at an alarming rate in the U.S. Data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows that cases of syphilis in particular have climbed dramatically, along with gonorrhea. To combat these increases, doxycycline, an antibiotic marketed as DoxyPEP, is now being prescribed as a \u201cmorning-after pill\u201d of sorts &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6224,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6223"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6223\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}