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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
Written on June 28, 2023 by Gillian (Gigi) Singer, MPH, Sexuality Educator & Certified Sexologist. To give you technically accurate, evidence-based information, content published on the Everlywell blog is reviewed by credentialed professionals with expertise in medical and bioscience fields.Table of contentsWhat Is An STD?Types of STDs and STIsWhat Antibiotics Treat STIsSTD Treatment via EverlywellRelated ContentBefore we can discuss which antibiotics treat sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), we need to make sure we’re all on the same page regarding the definition of an STD, as well as a basic understanding of the types of STDs.What Is An STD?According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are millions of new infections every year in the United States; sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are very common [1].Per our related article — STI vs. STD: what’s the difference? — “The key difference between STIs and STDs can be identified by the implications of one small linguistic distinction: the use of ‘infection’ in place of ‘disease’ (and vice versa). Infections and diseases are not the same things—infections are curable and go away, while diseases are usually chronic (ongoing or life-long).”Types of STDs and STIsExamples of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) include the following conditions: Herpes Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Human papillomavirus (HPV)These conditions are viral and chronic, meaning that once you contract them, they stay in your system. But while they are incurable, they are treatable. You can still have a healthy and active sex life if you have a viral STD.Examples of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) include the following conditions: Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) Chlamydia Gonorrhea Syphilis Trichomoniasis (“trich”) Pubic lice (“crabs”) Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)*These conditions are curable. All of them, except for public lice, are treated and cured with antibiotics. So, technically, antibiotics are not used to treat or cure sexually transmitted diseases, but rather, they are used to treat sexually transmitted infections. What Antibiotics Treat STIsThere are many types of antibiotics, none of which can be used as a universal treatment for all STIs. Below you will find a list of antibiotics that are used to treat each of the corresponding sexually transmitted infections.Bacterial Vaginosis (BV)Bacterial vaginosis is treated with metronidazole (Flagyl®, Metrogel-Vaginal®, etc.), clindamycin (Cleocin®, Clindesse®, etc.), tinidazole (Tindamax®), or secnidazole (Solosec®). All of these antibiotics are offered as a pill or powder that is taken orally, though clindamycin and metronidazole are also offered as vaginal creams or suppositories. [2]ChlamydiaChlamydia is most often treated with doxycycline (Vibramycin-D®, Efracea®, Periostat®), azithromycin (Zithromax®), amoxicillin (Amoxicot®, Amoxil®, DisperMox®, Moxatag®, Moxilin®, Trimox®), or erythromycin (Erythrocin®, Erythroped®, Erymax®, Erythroped A®, Tiloryth®). [3,4,5,6]GonorrheaIt is currently recommended that gonorrhea be treated with ceftriaxone (Ceftrisol Plus®, Rocephin®) which is an injection.[7]SyphilisWhen caught early
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