US health officials advise using antibiotic as a ‘morning-after pill’ against STDs

By MIKE STOBBE
AP Medical Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials now recommend that some people consider taking an antibiotic as a morning-after pill to prevent certain sexually transmitted diseases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday finalized its endorsement of taking the antibiotic doxycycline after unprotected sex. It’s a way to prevent chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis infections. The new guideline is specific to gay and bisexual men and transgender women who had an STD in the previous year and are at high risk of getting infected again. CDC officials called it the first new prevention tool against sexually transmitted infections in decades.