[cycomanic]

> 5. doxyPEP (two pills of doxycycline taken after sex, 90% effective against syphilis, 80% chlamydia, 50% gonorrhea)

Preventatively using antibiotics is a horrible idea, for one it increases the risk of creating resisitant strains, and we are already running out of antibiotics (especially broadband ones). Moreover, antibiotics in general are known to mess with you gut biome whose importance we are just beginning to understand (we know it plays a role in many physical and mental illnesses for example). Then there are the side effects which for doxycyline include diarrhea, increased risk of bowel cancer, higher sensitivity to the sun (and associated risk of skin cancer).

[alwa]

This all feels really general—precipitated on the idea that there’s one Right Way for everyone to use these drugs, about which the doctors and public health professionals recommending doxyPEP are somehow uninformed.

Suppose you’re immunocompromised. Wouldn’t it be worth the diarrhea to avoid infections your body couldn’t fight off?

Suppose you’re in a situation where you’re having lots of opportunities for infection. Whether you can or can’t control that situation, the end result is the same: you know your body is going to be challenged by infectious disease frequently in a way that most people’s bodies aren’t. Isn’t it plausible that the infectious agent may have less opportunity to evolve if you didn’t contract it as frequently?

Different forms of therapy might be both individually and collectively optimal for people in different situations. What’s right for a person who isn’t at risk isn’t the same as what’s right for a person who is at risk.

[bobthepanda]

Doxy is already prescribed in the US as a treatment regimen for acne, so if that’s going to be allowed STI prevention seems way more useful.

The overuse of antibiotics is mostly in farm animals, which represent 73% of global antibiotics use, and 90% of American antibiotics use.

[iknowstuff]

Thanks your professional healthcare research expertise will really come handy to all the researchers studying effects of doxypep and routine anti-acnne doxycycline prescriptions.

[verulito]

antibiotics are toxic in general, likely affecting way more than bowels. many are ototoxic for example.

[loopdoend]

Been taking it every day for 15 years with no problems and actually I seem to look 10 years younger than everyone in my age group.

[vasco]

The problems are for humanity not for you, with spurious use of antibiotics. Resistant strains can kill everyone.

[alwa]

The people responding to this seem to assume you’re doing so for funsies, which might be true. But that’s not what you said. So for their benefit, it’s worth pointing out that daily doxycycline is a pretty normal therapy for a range of chronic stuff—malaria prophylaxis, rosacea and skin that’s prone to infections, I’m sure there’s more.

If loopdoend’s doing this, it feels like a good bet that there’s a doctor in the mix judging that it’s medically appropriate for them.

[snowwrestler]

This is really surprising to me since there is a lot of evidence that oral antibiotics can mess up your gut flora, creating all sorts of bad side effects. Do you have any digestive issues?

[simianparrot]

Please tell me this is a joke / satire

[rswskg]

No, there are many many people who are this entitled.