Duration of Sexual Abstinence After Treatment for STIs

General Abstinence Guidelines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that patients treated for chlamydia, gonorrhea, or trichomoniasis should abstain from sexual intercourse for 7 days after single-dose therapy or until completion of a 7-day regimen to prevent transmission and reinfection 1, 2
Patients treated for gonorrhea should abstain from sexual activity for 7 days after receiving treatment, provided their symptoms have resolved 1
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that sexual abstinence should continue until all sex partners have been treated to minimize the risk of reinfection 2

The 7-day abstinence period allows time for the antibiotics to effectively clear the infection 1, 2

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all sex partners from the previous 60 days should be referred for evaluation, testing, and treatment 1, 2
If the most recent sexual contact was more than 60 days before symptom onset or diagnosis, that partner should still be evaluated and treated 2
Expedited partner treatment is an alternative approach when partners are unlikely to seek medical care 1

Test-of-cure is NOT routinely recommended for non-pregnant patients treated with recommended regimens for chlamydia or gonorrhea 2
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all pregnant women should have a test-of-cure 3-4 weeks after treatment completion 3
All patients treated for chlamydia, gonorrhea, or trichomoniasis should be retested approximately 3 months after treatment due to high rates of reinfection 3

For patients with persistent symptoms after treatment, evaluation for reinfection, treatment compliance issues, or other causes should be conducted 4
Pregnant patients require special attention with test-of-cure 3-4 weeks after treatment completion 3
HIV-positive patients should receive the same treatment and abstinence recommendations as HIV-negative patients 4