Understanding the prevalence of prophylaxis for STI use among sexual health clinic users

Biomedical interventions to prevent STIs are widely used for HIV prevention using post- and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PEP, PrEP) but have not been studied extensively for bacterial STIs. Several small studies are exploring the effectiveness of doxycycline as STI prevention when used before (pre-) and after (post-) sexual exposure. Although the strategy is endorsed, there is emerging evidence that key populations are adopting antimicrobial prophylaxis as an approach to risk reduction.

This study will improve our understanding of the prevalence, behaviours and factors associated with the prophylactic use of antimicrobials in sexual health service (SHS) users to inform and support the targeting, development and delivery of interventions to maximise patient and public health benefit. The project will provide further evidence to inform clinical management and guidelines.