A new meta-analysis of PrEP use suggests that men who rely on PrEP have higher rates of gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis.
AIDS2016 - "The jury is still out whether taking PrEP, which drastically reduces the risk of becoming HIV positive during condomless sex, leads to higher rates of other STIs.
According to an analysis of results from PrEP trials, the rates of new diagnoses of STIs among men who had sex with men (MSM) given PrEP were 25.3 times greater for gonorrhea, 11.2 times greater for chlamydia and 44.6 times greater for syphilis, compared with the rates among MSM not given PrEP.
The study determined that one of two things could be happening. Firstly, that the regular STI testing that is part of taking PrEP might have led to a higher rate of STI detection Secondly, a greater number of sex partners and a higher rate of condomless sex among those given PrEP might also have contributed to their higher STI diagnosis rate.
The study’s authors wrote: “In addition, our results and prior reports, which not only found a higher incidence of STI among PrEP users versus nonusers but also high rates of condomless anal sex among PrEP users, suggest that more research is needed to understand if PrEP causes a higher incidence of STIs among MSM. We must ensure that our efforts fighting one public health crisis do not lead to another.” " (Photo: Jason/Flickr)