PrEP is the best strategy for you if you aren’t an HIV positive already. This is not a cure or a treatment for HIV but it insulates you against catching HIV from unprotected sex or other acts of high-risk blood contamination.
At the Texas Specialty Clinic, we conduct a thorough HIV test for the patient before starting the PrEP medication. This is a short course of oral medication which can virtually eliminate the risk when taken consistently and correctly.
However, PrEP cannot prevent other Sexually Transmitted Diseases( STD ). It requires a sincere approach from the patients to practice safer sex and use condoms to prevent the chances of getting STD.
At Texas Specialty Clinic, patients receive access to the diagnostics, treatments, and medications for all types of STDs. We emphasize on awareness building in patients about the ways they can preempt HIV/AIDS and other STDs in order to lead happy and fulfilling lives.
PrEP is a prescription drug, and can only be prescribed by a medical provider. At the Texas Specialty Clinic, we have qualified practitioners, such as a doctor, physician’s assistant (PA), and nurse practitioner (NP) who can prescribe PrEP drug.
Before you start PrEP, we perform the ELISA test along with blood test to be absolutely sure about the non-existence of HIV antibody in you. This ensures your HIV status and success of the PrEP program.
While you are on PrEP you should visit us time to time for check-ups and tests. Starting any new medication can be intimidating, but we are here to make this process as easy and comfortable as possible.
Doxycycline Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (DoxyPEP) means taking the antibiotic doxycycline after sex, to prevent getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI). It is a morning-after pill for STIs. Studies have shown that taking DoxyPEP reduces your chance of getting syphilis and chlamydia by about two-thirds, especially if you are a transgender woman (TGW) or a man who has sex with men (MSM).
Two 100 mg of doxycycline should ideally be taken within 24 hours, but no later than 72 hours after condomless sex. Condomless sex means oral, anal, or vaginal/front-hole sex where a condom is not used for the entire time.
If you have sex again within 24 hours of taking doxycycline, take another dose 24 hours after your last dose. You can take doxycycline as often as every day when you are having condomless sex but do not take more than 200 mg (two 100 mg pills) every 24 hours.
Take doxycycline with plenty of water or something else to drink so that it does not get stuck when you swallow. If your stomach is upset by doxycycline, taking it with food may help.
1. Does it affect normal (“good”) bacteria in our intestines?
2. Could it increase or decrease the bacteria that live on our skin, or cause bacterial resistance to doxycycline (for example staph)?
3. Will DoxyPEP increase doxycycline resistance in bacteria that cause STIs?
