WiP Seminar: Doxycycline for STI Prevention: Evidence-to-date and overview of the DISCO Study

Troy Grennan, MD, M.Sc., FRCPC, DTM&H
Scientist, Advancing Health
Physician Lead, Provincial HIV/STI Program, BC Centre for Disease Control
Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, UBC
Investigator, CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network

Doxycycline for STI Prevention: Evidence-to-date and overview of the DISCO Study

In Canada and globally, the last decade has seen significant increases in bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STI), particularly in key populations such as gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) and transgender women. A number of recent studies, including some led by our Canadian team, have demonstrated a significant benefit for the antimicrobial doxycycline in preventing some of these STI, including syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea. Most of the work completed thus far has examined doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP), whereby a dose of doxycycline is taken following a sexual encounter. A smaller amount of work has looked at the performance of doxycycline pre-exposure prophylaxis (doxyPrEP), whereby doxycycline is taken daily to prevent STIs.

This presentation will provide an overview of the evidence-to-date on doxyPEP and doxyPrEP, and will highlight current work being done by Vancouver- and other Canadian-based researchers, focusing on the recently initiated Doxycycline Intervention for STI Chemoprophylaxis (DISCO) Study. DISCO is a national, randomized controlled trial examining the efficacy of doxyPrEP vs. doxyPEP in gbMSM and transgender women, and will also examine other issues of concern, including antimicrobial resistance and issues of implementation of this novel intervention.

This is a hybrid event, you may attend in person or virtually. Attendees must register and indicate their preference.