The use of antibiotics to prevent (rather than treat) sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is not endorsed by the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) or the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). However, this self-management approach to sexual health has been used informally for some time, especially by some gay and bisexual men.
There is currently a renewed interest in better understanding if antibiotics can and should be used in this way – and what the potential drawbacks to this approach might be – in an era of declining condom use, HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and rising rates of bacterial STIs.
This briefing paper, produced by NAM aidsmap for HIV Prevention England, provides an overview of the latest research on STI prophylaxis. This technical briefing is based on research that has been carried out with cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women. There is a lack of research in this area with other groups.
The HPE team would like to acknowledge Krishen Samuel for producing this resource.
Read briefing: Using antibiotics to prevent STIs (2022) [PDF]