A randomized, comparative study of the efficacy and tolerance of roxithromycin and doxycycline in the treatment of women with positive endocervical cultures for Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma spp. in an in vitro fertilization program.

A total of 45 patients wishing to enter an in vitro fertilization program had positive endocervical cultures for Chlamydia trachomatis, 86 had positive cultures for Ureaplasma urealyticum, and 11 had positive cultures for Mycoplasma hominis. These patients and their consorts were randomly allocated to treatment with either roxithromycin or doxycycline. Both antibiotics were completely effective against C. trachomatis. In patients with U. urealyticum infection, roxithromycin was successful in 73% and doxycycline in 87% of cases. Mycoplasma hominis was eradicated in 100% of cases by doxycycline and in 85% of cases by roxithromycin. Doxycycline caused significantly more side effects than did roxithromycin.