Clarithromycin and STD

[mrconcernguy]

Greetings,
Well I been with my share of sex workers (none street walkers) Escorts and parlor places. Been tested in the past for STDs all negative.

This is the story, this past friday I hook up with a escort that I became cool with. This wasn't a pay for service job. We  hooked for fun. Well during the sex the condom broke during intercourse. She pull off what was left proceeded with oral then replace the condom with a fresh one.

I do know the risk  is somewhat low.

But here is my question. I ended up with a respiratory infection and the Doc gave me Clarithromycin, I have to take 2X 500mg a day for ten days. I started the medication the day of the sexual encounter.

Will Clarithromycin help clear up any of the STD's that I might have caught during the act?

There is not too much info on Clarithromycin and STD's out there. I know one thing it is sure working on my respiratory infection big time.

Thanks for your responses!

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Clarithromycin (Biaxin in the US) is chemically similar to azithromycin (Zithromax), one of the standard drugs for several STDs.  Although it has not been studied extensively against STDs, it undoubtedly is effective in either treating or preventing all the infections that respond to azithromycin.  In the dose you were give, you were protected from chlamydia, nongonococcal urethritis (NGU), gonorrhea, and probably syphilis.

Syphilis probably isn't a problem unless you live in certain areas of the US, such as the west coast, and certain parts of Europe, such as Dublin, where syphilis strains resistant to that class of antibiotics are quite common.  However, heterosexually transmitted syphilis is very rare in most settings, probably especially in non-brothel based, non-street walking CSWs.

No antibiotic protects against the viral STDs, such as HSV, HIV, HPV, and hepatitis B.  You have no worries for any bacterial STD.

Regards--  HHH, MD

[Kevin6776]

A related discussion, STD was started.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I'm sure the statement about local syphilis frequency is accurate.  There are only about 20,000 new cases per year in the entire US, and 90% of those are concentrated in a few geographic areas; and 70% of cases are in men who have sex with men.

[mrconcernguy]

Thanks for the response. I live NJ. I was told last year during a routine STD test that there haven't been a reported case of Syphilis for a couple of years in the area, not sure how true that statement is but it sounded good.

I've been through Hep B years ago from a dirty tattoo shop when I was in the military.

Make sure I am careful next time.

Thanks again.