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Stewart J, Bukusi E, Sesay FA, Oware K, Donnell D, Soge OO, Celum C, Odoyo J, Kwena ZA, Scoville CW, Violette LR, Morrison S, Simoni J, McClelland RS, Barnabas R, Gandhi M, Baeten JM. Doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis for prevention of sexually transmitted infections among Kenyan women using HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis: study protocol for an open-label randomized trial. Trials 2022; 23:495. [PMID: 35710444 PMCID: PMC9201793 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-022-06458-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women in Africa face disproportionate risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition, accounting for more than half of new infections in Africa and similarly face a disproportionate burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Very high STI prevalence is being observed globally, especially among people taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention. Doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (dPEP) has been proposed as an STI prevention strategy to reduce chlamydia, syphilis, and possibly gonorrhea, and trials are ongoing among cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women who are taking PrEP in high-income settings. We designed and describe here the first open-label trial to determine the effectiveness of dPEP to reduce STI incidence among cisgender women. METHODS We are conducting an open-label 1:1 randomized trial of dPEP versus standard of care (STI screening and treatment and risk-reduction counseling without dPEP) among 446 Kenyan women aged ≥ 18 and ≤ 30 years old women taking PrEP. Women are followed for 12 months, with quarterly STI testing, treatment, and adherence counseling. The primary trial outcome will be the combined incidence of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Treponema pallidum, compared between the randomized groups. We will also assess dPEP acceptability, tolerability, safety, impact on sexual behavior, adherence, and occurrence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis isolates. Finally, we will estimate cost per incident STI case and complications averted accounting for nonadherence and benefits relative AMR or side effects. DISCUSSION The results of this trial may have immediate implications for the global epidemic of STIs and sexual health. If effective, dPEP could put STI prevention into women's hands. While dPEP may be able to prevent STIs, it carries important risks that could counter its benefits; global debate about the balance of these potential risks and benefits requires data to inform policy and implementation and our study aims to fill this gap. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04050540 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenell Stewart
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Box 359931, 325 Ninth Ave, WA 98104 Seattle, USA
- Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Elizabeth Bukusi
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Box 359931, 325 Ninth Ave, WA 98104 Seattle, USA
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Fredericka A. Sesay
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Box 359931, 325 Ninth Ave, WA 98104 Seattle, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Kevin Oware
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Deborah Donnell
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Box 359931, 325 Ninth Ave, WA 98104 Seattle, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Olusegun O. Soge
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Box 359931, 325 Ninth Ave, WA 98104 Seattle, USA
- Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Connie Celum
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Box 359931, 325 Ninth Ave, WA 98104 Seattle, USA
- Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | | | | | - Caitlin W. Scoville
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Box 359931, 325 Ninth Ave, WA 98104 Seattle, USA
| | - Lauren R. Violette
- Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Susan Morrison
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Box 359931, 325 Ninth Ave, WA 98104 Seattle, USA
| | - Jane Simoni
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - R. Scott McClelland
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Box 359931, 325 Ninth Ave, WA 98104 Seattle, USA
- Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Ruanne Barnabas
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Box 359931, 325 Ninth Ave, WA 98104 Seattle, USA
- Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Monica Gandhi
- Department of Medicine, Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Jared M. Baeten
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Box 359931, 325 Ninth Ave, WA 98104 Seattle, USA
- Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
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