Review of doxycycline for prophylaxis of sexually transmitted infections

The surging rates of STIs necessitate medical practitioners in the appropriate specialties to focus on rapid recognition, treatment and prevention of these conditions. Through both pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis with doxycycline, dermatologists can provide up-to-date treatment in the field of venereology. Herein, we review the results of clinical trials in the available literature that investigate doxycycline prophylaxis in the prevention of bacterial STIs. A search was performed using the PubMED and Scopus databases which yielded six clinical trials for our review. Based on the results of these clinical trials, doxycycline prophylaxis offers significant reductions in bacterial STIs, specifically in men who have sex with men (MSM). Additional research is needed in other high-risk groups, including females. Moreover, additional research is needed to determine the effects of doxycycline prophylaxis on tetracycline resistance in STI-causing bacteria. As the utilization of doxycycline prophylaxis for STIs becomes more common, it is important that dermatologists become familiar with the data surrounding this prevention regimen and patient populations who may seek to know more about it. More research is needed to determine benefits in other subpopulations, antimicrobial resistance and cost effectiveness.