WHO-recommended Periodic Presumptive Treatment Versus Doxycycline Post-Exposure Prophylaxis for STI Control Among Cisgender Men Who Have Sex With Men in Kenya

Status: Recruiting
Location: See all (3) locations...
Intervention Type: Drug
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Phase 4
SUMMARY

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at high risk for gonorrhea and chlamydia in Kenya, where nucleic acid amplification testing is not feasible and most infections therefore go undiagnosed. We propose an open-label randomized clinical trial with 2900 participants assigned to WHO-recommended periodic presumptive treatment (PPT) or doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP), compared to standard syndromic treatment, with 18 months of follow-up and rigorous culture-based and molecular analysis of antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. This work will provide critical data needed to inform guidelines and improve STI control among MSM in sub-Saharan Africa and other resource-limited settings, including modelled estimates of the health and economic impact of scaling up these two interventions on STI control among MSM and their partners in Kenya.

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: Male
Minimum Age: 18
Maximum Age: 29
Healthy Volunteers: t
View:

• 18-29 years old

• Assigned male sex at birth

• Identifies as male (cis-gender)

• Reports condomless anal intercourse with a man in the past 6 months

• Reports multiple male sex partners OR a male sex partner with a syndromic (urethritis, proctitis, or genital ulcer disease) or laboratory-diagnosed sexually transmitted infection in the past 6 months

• Willing and able to provide written informed consent and participate in all study procedures

• Planning to remain in the study area for 18 months

Locations
Other Locations
Kenya
Anza Mapema Clinic
RECRUITING
Kisumu
University of Washington/Pwani Research Centre at the Ganjoni Municipal Clinic, Mombasa
RECRUITING
Mombasa
TRANSFORM Clinic
RECRUITING
Nairobi
Contact Information
Primary
Susan M Graham, MD, PhD, MPH
grahamsm@uw.edu
+1-206-351-0414
Backup
Eduard J Sanders, MD, PhD, MPH
esanders@auruminstitute.org
+254-723-593762
Time Frame
Start Date: 2025-10-29
Estimated Completion Date: 2029-04-30
Participants
Target number of participants: 2900
Treatments
Active_comparator: WHO-recommended periodic presumptive treatment
Participants assigned to the STI PPT arm will be evaluated at baseline and every 3 months thereafter for STI PPT eligibility based on having had condomless anal sex and either multiple sex partners or a sex partner with an STI in the past 6 months. If eligible, they will be offered 400 mg po cefixime plus 1 gram azithromycin po under direct observation, using the same regimen as for syndromic treatment per the latest WHO recommendations.
Active_comparator: Doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis
Participants assigned to the doxyPEP arm will be provided with a 30-day supply of doxycycline hyclate at each quarterly visit, with refills as needed. They will have 1:1 counselling on the self-administration of 200 mg po doxycycline within 24-72 hours after condomless anal or vaginal sex as frequently as daily if indicated but not more than once daily, in accordance with the doxyPEP trial in the United States.
No_intervention: Standard care
Participants assigned to the standard care arm will receive screening for STI symptoms at every scheduled visit and syndromic treatment with cefixime 400 mg po stat plus azithromycin 1 gram po stat under direct observation, in accordance with current Kenyan recommendations for genital and anorectal infections. This regimen will be updated if Kenyan recommendations change.
Related Therapeutic Areas
Sponsors
Collaborators: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Aurum Institute, Partners for Health & Development in Africa, Nyanza Reproductive Health Society
Leads: University of Washington

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov