Teens may be snubbing condoms for this post-sex pill — what parents need to know

This isn’t guaranteed to work (Picture: Getty Images/fStop) You might need to add a new line to your birds and the bees talk with your teenager, as some may be turning to post-sex antibiotics to reduce STI risk. Condom usage is already incredibly low, with just 15% of Brits buying condoms each year, but now people are popping a common antibiotic after unprotected sex instead. Given that diagnosis rates of STIs remain relatively high in young people aged 15 to 24, it’s worth checking in with them around how to protect themselves from STDs. Known as DoxyPEP, which is short for doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis, it’s essentially just doxycycline which is taken after sex. Superdrug Online Doctor GP Dr Babak Ashrafi tells Metro that this is a ‘newer term students may have started hearing in conversations around STI prevention’. But, doctors have warned this is not a substitute for wrapping up, with condom usage being the most effective way to have safe sexual encounters. How does DoxyPEP work? Simply put, doxycycline is taken with the intention of preventing certain bacterial STIs from becoming established. The board-spectrum antibiotic is commonly used to treat bacterial infections, skin inflammation and to prevent malaria. Doxycycline is a common antibiotic used to fight bacterial infections (Picture: Getty Images/Science Photo Libra) Common bacterial STIs include chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and Mgen, but Superdrug GP Dr Babak Ashrafi tells Metro: ‘Current UK guidance focuses on its use for certain people at increased risk of chlamydia or syphilis.’ Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. As for how it works, Dr Suzanne Wylie tells Metro: ‘The antibiotic can reach tissues at a concentration capable of inhibiting or killing susceptible bacteria before an established infection develops. ‘This is particularly relevant to organisms such as Chlamydia trachomatis and Treponema pallidum, the bacterium responsible for syphilis, because they are generally susceptible to doxycycline.’ Dr Wylie, for IQdoctor, explains that DoxyPEP does ‘substantially reduce the risk’ of contracting certain STIs with studies finding reductions of infections from 70% to 90%. It has its limitations DoxyPEP is unfortunately less likely to work for gonorrhoea, of which there were 63,943 cases diagnosed in the UK last year. ‘Gonorrhoea is a much more complicated situation because Neisseria gonorrhoeae has developed a considerable resistance to tetracycline antibiotics, including doxycycline, and this is particularly relevant in the UK,’ Dr Wylie adds. ‘Someone taking DoxyPEP should still consider themselves at risk of contracting gonorrhoea. So, this is one of the most important limitations to understand.’ Why should you be worried? While Dr Ashrafi brands DoxyPEP as an ‘important development’ in STI prevention since it was officially recommended for this use in 2025, people need to be reminded that it’s no substitute for a condom. ‘The concern is that someone may hear that DoxyPEP can prevent STIs and assume that means they are protected from everything, which simply isn’t the case,’ he explains. ‘It can reduce the risk of syphilis and chlamydia, but it isn’t 100% effective and doesn’t provide protection against every STI. DoxyPEP is not a substitute for condoms (Picture: Getty Images) ‘Condoms continue to play an important role in reducing the transmission of a much wider range of sexually transmitted infections, so DoxyPEP should be viewed as an additional prevention option for people for whom it is clinically appropriate, rather than a replacement.’ Those who are likely to be given doxycycline in this manner are those at increased risk of syphilis, including gay and bisexual men and trans women, according to the Terrence Higgins Trust. Those who are sexually active should also have regular STI testing and vaccinations where needed. You can purchase DoxyPEP following an online consultation with pharmacies or through your doctor. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk Deals of the Day Topman’s new-season collection has arrived and prices start at just £10 An Instagram mattress left me with back pain – this one completely changed my mind Book Val d'Isère, Val Thorens and Tignes for less in Club Med's ski sale Save 25% on red light therapy masks, sauna blankets and sleep gadgets in Bon Charge sale The viral LED face mask with over 350 lights that's currently discounted by £100 Arrow MORE: Full list of food and drinks being banned in schools across England Arrow MORE: ‘Toasted skin’ is the itchy condition every parent should know about Arrow MORE: I’ve explored different careers – but I keep working at a sex shop The Slice Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.