Medication to cut down syphilis risks

A NEWLY-approved medication that significantly reduces the risk of acquiring syphilis is being prescribed by axess sexual health, which provides sexual health services in Cheshire East.

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The medication, doxyPEP, is a doxycycline antibiotic which is taken within 24 hours (no later than 72 hours) after sex to help prevent bacterial sexually transmitted infections and studies show it can reduce the transmission of syphilis by up to 87 per cent.

Syphilis can cause serious and potentially life-threatening problems if not treated.

The medication was approved for use in the US in 2023 but only until the publication this year of a new guideline by the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) has it been prescribed for use in the UK.