(P1) Antibiotic knowledge amongst US adults who have ever been tested for a sexually transmitted infection, 2022

Background: Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis are generally curable with antibiotics. However, antibiotic resistance is a growing public health threat. Our aim is to examine recent use, knowledge, and opinions about antibiotics amongst adults in the United States (US) who have ever been tested for a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Methods: We examined data from the ConsumerStyles web-based panel survey representative of non-institutionalized adults in the US. This survey was conducted by Porter Novelli from September 1-24, 2022. A total of 3,526 respondents completed the survey for a response rate of 79%. We assessed antibiotic use in the prior 12 months, antibiotic knowledge (true/false statements about antibiotics), and opinions about antibiotic resistance, including use of doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis. We also asked respondents if they had ever been tested for STIs. We conducted chi-square tests to compare ever being tested for STIs by antibiotic use, knowledge, and opinions.

Results: Of 3,492 respondents who answered the STI testing question, 1,266 (36.3%) had ever been tested for a STI. Of this number, 39.2% had used an antibiotic in the past 12 months, compared to 30.7% of those who had never been tested for a STI, p< 0.0001. The majority of respondents who had ever been tested for a STI responded to eight statements about antibiotic use, with a range from 52.8%-95.1% correct (vs. 47.1%–94.5% for those never tested). Respondents who had ever been tested for a STI were more likely than those never tested to agree the benefits of prophylactically prescribing doxycycline to a patient who is at high risk of contracting a STI outweigh the possibility of increasing antibiotic resistance (33.5% vs. 28.9%, p=0.0002); however, many respondents neither agreed nor disagreed (48.4% & 55.7%).

Conclusion: Respondents who had ever been tested for a STI demonstrated slightly increased levels of knowledge about antibiotic use compared to those who had never been tested for a STI. While the benefits of doxycycline as post-exposure prophylaxis are still being weighed by the medical community, more research is needed to understand public understanding and sentiment about antibiotic resistance, especially in those seeking STI care.