Dear Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Recipients,
In April 2023, the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) issued a program letter on the role of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) in addressing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and mpox. Since last year, the country continues to experience an increase in STIs, which has significantly impacted people with HIV.
HRSA HAB recognizes you have advanced the response to STIs in the communities you serve but understand there is still more work to be done.
HRSA HAB is pleased to release a new program letter that provides information on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) new clinical guidelines on the use of doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxy PEP) for prevention of bacterial STIs. Doxy PEP is a novel use of a STI medication for prevention that has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing the incidence of bacterial STIs (specifically syphilis, chlamydia, or gonorrhea) in certain populations.
In the program letter, HRSA HAB recommend that RWHAP recipients adopt the CDC’s doxy PEP guidelines to offer this new prevention intervention for populations who would likely benefit from this intervention. Specifically, we encourage you to use RWHAP funds to purchase doxycycline for your eligible clients and for RWHAP Part B AIDS Drug Assistance Programs to add doxycycline to their formularies to ensure access and coverage.
Thank you for your continued efforts to support a holistic and syndemic approach to care and treatment for people with HIV.
Laura Cheever and Heather Hauck
Office of the Associate Administrator
HIV/AIDS Bureau, HRSA