The Pat Kenny Show A new strategy to reduce STIs
Sep 30, 2025
Dr. Aisling Loy, a Consultant in genitourinary medicine at St. James's Hospital and the Hemeris Health STI clinic, discusses exciting trends in sexual health. While bacterial STIs are declining, herpes rates remain stubbornly high. Dr. Loy explores the impact of COVID and PrEP on STI services, delves into herpes types and treatments, and highlights a new prevention strategy using DoxyPep. This innovative approach aims to target chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea effectively, while also breaking the stigma around visiting clinics for sexual health.
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Testing Revealed Hidden Infections
- Increased testing (home kits, PrEP screening) revealed many asymptomatic bacterial STIs and led to a recent decline in incidence.
- Clearing asymptomatic infections from the community appears to be driving the downward trend in bacterial STIs.
Herpes Is Distinct And Persistent
- Herpes is viral, lifelong, and causes significant psychological distress unlike many bacterial STIs.
- HSV-1 commonly lies dormant and reactivates with triggers like stress, UV light, or other illnesses.
Treat And Suppress Herpes Outbreaks
- Treat outbreaks episodically with antivirals to shorten duration and severity by taking tablets twice a day for three days.
- Use daily suppressive therapy if outbreaks exceed about six per year to reduce recurrences.