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STDs  (Expert Forum)
 | 
Bacterial infection treatment in possible incubation stage
Answered by
University of Washington Seattle - WA
Welcome to the STD Forum, which is intended only for questions and support pertaining to sexually transmitted diseases other than HIV/AIDS, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, human papillomavirus, genital warts, trichomonas, other vaginal infections, nongonoccal urethritis (NGU), cervicitis, molluscum contagiosum, chancroid, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). All questions will be answered by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D. or Edward W Hook, MD.

Bacterial infection treatment in possible incubation stage

by pleeze_help, Jul 13, 2007 12:00AM
After brief oral exposure with another male (stranger), I freaked and sought treatment.

I went to a local walk in care center 48 hours after exposure.
The only symptoms was some very minor clear discharge when milking during self exams.

I was given a 10 day run of 100 MG Doxycycline and a shot of Rosefin.
(As a precautionary measure).

From your great site and the SFCityClinic site, I understand that the chance of HIV is nearly non-existant and aside from Herpes and HPV, all other possibilities are bacterial infections.

My questions are: Would the treatment described above at that time (48 hours after exposure)have taken care of all bacterial infections even if they were still asymptomatic and possibly in incubation stage?

Also - is there even an incubation stage for these potential infections? Info on the web is minimal regarding the earliest time at which precautionary treatment does any good.

I realize that the correct option would have been to wait until symptoms arise...but the thought if STDs had totally freaked me out.

With this precautionat treatment underway, am I safe to resume unprotected sex with my partner?

Thank you.

by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Jul 13, 2007 12:00AM
'Precautionary treatment' is effective at any time, i.e. it would work equally well 2 minutes or 2 days or 10 days after exposure.

The only traditional bacterial STD you could have caught is gonorrhea, and the treatment definitely would prevent that.  There is no appreciable risk of chlamydia, but doxycycline would prevent that as well.  The only other possibility is nongonococcal urethritis (NGU), which sometimes probably can be caused by normal mouth bacteria.  Doxycycline covers that as well, and in any case that syndrome is not serious, probably associated with no serious or long term health risks for either the infected person or his/her future sex partners.

Bottom line:  You were at low risk, and the treatments you had reduced that low risk to absolute zero, for practical purposes.

Good luck---  HHH, MD
Member Comments (3)

by pleeze_help, Jul 13, 2007 12:00AM
To: Forum Dr. HHH
Is it also safe to assume that Syphilis was covered by the precautionary treatment as well?
Local clinics and CDC indicate a Syphilis increase in gay males and I assume I was equally at risk for this as well from receiving b-job (insertive fellatio) (not reciprocating).

The info I found shows that Syphilis is also a bacterial infection so I assume your answer will be yes.

Thank you so much. This site is a great resource and is worth every penny !

by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Jul 13, 2007 12:00AM
I meant to mention syphilis.  The treatments you received would definitely prevent syphilis if you were exposed to it.
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