{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,16]],"date-time":"2026-10-16T20:07:28Z","timestamp":1792181248120,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,5]],"date-time":"2024-12-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1733356800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosglobalpublichealth.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLOS Glob Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Novel STI prevention interventions, including doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP) and meningococcal B vaccination (4CMenB) against gonorrhoea, have been increasingly examined as tools to aid STI control. There is evidence of the efficacy of doxyPEP in preventing bacterial STIs; however, limited data exist on the extent of use in the UK. We examined self-reported knowledge and use of antibiotic post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and intention to use (ITU) doxyPEP and 4CMenB among a large, community sample of men and gender-diverse individuals who have sex with men in the UK. Using data collected by the RiiSH survey (November\/December 2023), part of a series of online surveys of men and other gender-diverse individuals in the UK, we describe (%, [95% CI]) self-reported knowledge and use of antibiotic PEP (including doxyPEP) and doxyPEP and 4CMenB ITU. Using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression, we examined correlates of ever using antibiotic PEP, doxyPEP ITU, and 4CMenB ITU, respectively, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and a composite marker of sexual risk defined as reporting (in the last three months): \u22655 condomless anal sex partners, bacterial STI diagnosis, chemsex, and\/or meeting partners at sex-on-premises venues, sex parties, or cruising locations. Of 1,106 participants (median age: 44 years [IQR: 34\u201354]), 34% (30%-37%) knew of antibiotic PEP; 8% (6%-10%) ever reported antibiotic PEP use. Among those who did, most reported use in the last year (84%, 73\/87) and exclusively used doxycycline (69%, 60\/87). Over half of participants reported doxyPEP ITU (51% [95% CI: 47%-56%], 568\/1,106) while over two-thirds (64% [95% CI: 60%-69%], 713\/1,106) reported 4CMenB ITU. Participants with markers of sexual risk and with uptake of other preventative interventions were more likely to report ever using antibiotic PEP as well as doxyPEP and 4CMenB ITU, respectively. HIV-PrEP users and people living with HIV (PLWHIV) were more likely to report antibiotic PEP use and doxyPEP and 4CMenB vaccination ITU than HIV-negative participants not reporting recent HIV-PrEP use. Findings demonstrate considerable interest in the use of novel STI prevention interventions, more so for 4CMenB vaccination relative to doxyPEP. Fewer than one in ten participants had reported ever using antibiotic PEP, with most using appropriate, evidence-based antibiotics. The use of antibiotic PEP and the report of doxyPEP ITU and 4CMenB ITU was more common among those at greater risk of STIs.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pgph.0003807","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,5]],"date-time":"2024-12-05T13:49:04Z","timestamp":1733406544000},"page":"e0003807","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pgph.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Knowledge, uptake and intention to use antibiotic post-exposure prophylaxis and meningococcal B vaccine (4CMenB) for gonorrhoea among a large, online community sample of men and gender-diverse individuals who have sex with men in the UK"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"4","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1900-8892","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Dana","family":"Ogaz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-9920-1848","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Jessica","family":"Edney","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-1508-1697","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Dawn","family":"Phillips","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dolores","family":"Mullen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"David","family":"Reid","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ruth","family":"Wilkie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4612-7408","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Erna","family":"Buitendam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2265-1205","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"James","family":"Bell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Catherine M.","family":"Lowndes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gwenda","family":"Hughes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7756-403X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Helen","family":"Fifer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Catherine H.","family":"Mercer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3020-9916","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"John","family":"Saunders","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hamish","family":"Mohammed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"pgph.0003807.ref001","volume-title":"Sexually transmitted infections and screening for chlamydia in England, 2022","author":"S Migchelsen","year":"2023"},{"issue":"8","key":"pgph.0003807.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"553","DOI":"10.1136\/sextrans-2017-053273","article-title":"100 years of STIs in the UK: a review of national surveillance data.","volume":"94","author":"H Mohammed","year":"2018","journal-title":"Sex Transm 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sexually transmitted infections","author":"MW Traeger","year":"2023","journal-title":"Clin Infect Dis"},{"key":"pgph.0003807.ref007","author":"UK Health Security Agency","year":"2022","journal-title":"Mpox and sexual health: outreach and engagement fund"},{"issue":"1","key":"pgph.0003807.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"65","DOI":"10.1016\/S1473-3099(23)00451-6","article-title":"Transmission dynamics and effect of control measures on the 2022 outbreak of mpox among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men in England: a mathematical modelling study","volume":"24","author":"X-S Zhang","year":"2024","journal-title":"The Lancet Infectious Diseases"},{"key":"pgph.0003807.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100743","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lanepe.2023.100743","article-title":"Management of asymptomatic sexually transmitted infections in Europe: towards a differentiated, evidence-based approach","volume":"34","author":"C Kenyon","year":"2023","journal-title":"The Lancet Regional Health\u2014Europe"},{"issue":"6","key":"pgph.0003807.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"429","DOI":"10.1136\/sextrans-2020-054592","article-title":"Factors associated with reporting antibiotic use as STI prophylaxis among HIV PrEP users: findings from a cross-sectional online community survey, May-July 2019, UK.","volume":"97","author":"C O\u2019Halloran","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sex Transm Infect"},{"issue":"1","key":"pgph.0003807.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1105","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-022-13425-0","article-title":"PrEP use and unmet PrEP-need among men who have sex with men in London prior to the implementation of a national PrEP programme, a cross-sectional study from June to August 2019.","volume":"22","author":"D Ogaz","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Public 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Colorado"},{"issue":"14","key":"pgph.0003807.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1296","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa2211934","article-title":"Postexposure Doxycycline to Prevent Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infections","volume":"388","author":"AF Luetkemeyer","year":"2023","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"key":"pgph.0003807.ref016","author":"A Luetkemeyer","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sustained Reduction of Bacterial STIs During the DoxyPEP Study Open-Label Extension Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Denver, Colorado"},{"key":"pgph.0003807.ref017","author":"M Sankaran","year":"2024","journal-title":"Doxy-PEP Associated With Declines in Chlamydia and Syphilis in MSM and Trans Women in San Francisco Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Denver, Colorado"},{"issue":"12","key":"pgph.0003807.ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e1008602","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.ppat.1008602","article-title":"The serogroup B meningococcal 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A snapshot survey on doxycycline use for prevention of sexually transmitted infections in parts of the German MSM community.","volume":"51","author":"D Hornuss","year":"2023","journal-title":"Infection"},{"key":"pgph.0003807.ref031","author":"European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.","year":"2019","journal-title":"EMIS-2017 The European Men-Who-Have Sex-With-Men Internet Survey: Key findings from 50 countries"},{"issue":"3","key":"pgph.0003807.ref032","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"201","DOI":"10.1136\/sextrans-2020-054681","article-title":"An update on the performance of STI services for gay and bisexual men across European cities: results from the 2017 European MSM Internet Survey","volume":"97","author":"J Doran","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sex Transm Infect"},{"key":"pgph.0003807.ref033","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-016-3057-2","article-title":"Impact of a United Kingdom-wide campaign to tackle antimicrobial 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