HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis does not increase gonorrhea and chlamydia incidence in young Black and Hispanic men who have sex with men: An observational cohort study

An article in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, published November 2025.

Authors: Octavio C Mesner, Rishabh Jain, Aditi Ramakrishnan, Derrick D Matthews, Jeremy T Goldbach

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This study examined whether using HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) affects the rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia in young Black and Hispanic men who have sex with men (YBHMSM). Researchers followed a group of HIV-negative YBHMSM, aged 16-24, in Los Angeles to assess the impact of PrEP on instances of these sexually transmitted infections (STIs), condom use, and STI testing outside of study visits. They found that while participants using PrEP had more condomless sex partners, they also sought STI testing more frequently outside the study. Importantly, the use of PrEP did not lead to an overall increase in the incidence of gonorrhea and chlamydia among these men.

For HIV researchers and prevention/treatment practitioners, these findings suggest that increasing PrEP usage among YBHMSM could reduce new HIV infections without worsening the rates of other STIs like gonorrhea and chlamydia. While PrEP users reported more condomless sex, the routine and regular STI testing associated with PrEP use likely mitigates the risk by ensuring timely detection and treatment of any infections. Thus, efforts to promote and expand PrEP access in this population may help control HIV spread without negatively impacting STI prevalence.