Two Democratic U.S. Representatives sent a letter to U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently asking that the STI treatment doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxy PEP) be free on insurance plans.
California Reps. Robert Garcia and Barbara Lee’s request asked that doxy PEP be designated under the same ranking as PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, an HIV treatment taken ahead of potential exposure to HIV. After making PrEP essential free on insurance plans for Americans, a significant reduction in HIV rates was seen, according to LGBTQ Nation.
Garcia said in a statement, “Surging STIs are disproportionately impacting LGBTQ+ individuals. We must ensure that these folks have access to doxy PEP, a critical medication that can save lives and prevent these kinds of infections. By making doxy PEP coverage free by insurers, we can prevent infections and stop the spread of disease for those most vulnerable.”
Doxy PEP functions as a morning after pill for preventing sexually transmitted infections. If taken within 24 hours or less of sex, it has been able to help prevent syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea. And so far, it’s been effective.
The CDC reports that just 200 mg of doxy PEP ingested within 72 hours of sexual intercourse “has been shown to reduce syphilis and chlamydia infections by >70% and gonococcal infections by approximately 50%.” Doxy PEP is currently being sold for around $15-25 without insurance depending on the dosage.
