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Patient instructions

STI Treatment Patient Instructions

These instructions are for treatment kits dispensed for sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and pelvic inflammatory disease. STIs are common, treatable, and nothing a clinic has not seen before — the medication works if you take all of it and your partners are treated too. Available by prescription only.

Partners need treatment

Treating only yourself usually leads to reinfection. Partner notification through the clinic or public health is confidential.

The 7-day rule

A single-dose treatment does not work instantly. No sex for 7 days after the dose — and until partners are treated too.

Finish the course

Feeling better is not the same as cured. Multi-day courses only work completed — take every dose.

Taking the Treatment

  1. 1Take the medication exactly as the kit label says. Some treatments are a single dose; others run one to four weeks.
  2. 2If your treatment is a course, finish all of it — even if symptoms disappear after a few days. Stopping early can leave the infection partially treated.
  3. 3Doxycycline: take with a full glass of water and stay upright for 30 minutes afterward, and use sun protection — it makes skin burn faster.
  4. 4Metronidazole: do not drink any alcohol during treatment and for 48 hours after the last dose — the combination causes severe nausea, vomiting, and flushing.
  5. 5If your treatment was an injection at the clinic, soreness at the injection site for a day or two is normal.

After Treatment

  • Avoid sex — including oral sex — for 7 days after a single-dose treatment, or until a multi-day course is finished and symptoms are gone.
  • Your partner or partners need testing and treatment too, or the infection passes back. The clinic or public health can notify partners confidentially — your name is not shared.
  • Go to any retesting appointment the clinic books. Some infections need a test of cure; most warrant a recheck around 3 months because reinfection is common.

Side Effects

Most people finish STI treatment without trouble. You may notice:

  • Nausea or an upset stomach, especially with azithromycin — taking it with food helps.
  • Diarrhea that is mild and short-lived.
  • Headache or tiredness.
  • If you are being treated for syphilis: fever, chills, muscle aches, and feeling generally unwell in the first 24 hours after a penicillin injection is a known, expected reaction (not an allergy). Fluids, rest, and acetaminophen help; it settles within a day. Call the clinic if it does not.

Serious Allergic Reaction

A serious allergic reaction is rare. Seek immediate medical attention if you notice any of the following:

  • Rash or hives
  • Itching or swelling, especially of the face, tongue, or throat
  • Severe dizziness
  • Trouble breathing

When to Call the Pharmacy or Clinic

  • You vomit within an hour of taking a dose and are not sure whether to repeat it.
  • You miss doses of a multi-day course and are unsure how to restart.
  • Side effects are stopping you from finishing the treatment — there are usually options.
  • You start any new medication during treatment — interactions are worth a quick check.