Overview
- The health department’s figures, released Monday for STI Awareness Week, show syphilis down 24%, chlamydia down 18%, and gonorrhea down 5% from 2024.
- The steepest declines were among men who have sex with men and transgender women, with syphilis falling 27% for men who have sex with men compared with a 5% drop among females.
- Doxy-PEP, which means taking doxycycline after sex to prevent certain bacterial infections, is central to the strategy, and San Francisco issued the nation’s first guidance on its use in 2022.
- Local results build on research with Kaiser Permanente Northern California that found doxy-PEP cuts syphilis and chlamydia, yet officials urge routine testing, vaccination, and fast treatment.
- City clinics continue to offer testing and care, including for uninsured residents, as disparities persist for people experiencing homelessness, people who use drugs, and Black residents, and the early citywide drop may guide other communities facing rising national STI rates.