Treatment of Chancroid
Antibiotics (various)

Treatment of chancroid should be started promptly, without waiting for test results. One of the following is recommended:

A single-dose of azithromycin 1 g orally or ceftriaxone 250 mg IM

Erythromycin 500 mg orally 3 times a day for 7 days

Ciprofloxacin 500 mg orally twice a day for 3 days

Patients treated for other causes of genital ulcers should be given antibiotics that also treat chancroid if chancroid is suspected and laboratory testing is impractical.

Treatment of patients with HIV coinfection, particularly with single-dose regimens, may be ineffective. In these patients, ulcers may require up to 2 weeks to heal, and lymphadenopathy may resolve more slowly.

Buboes can safely be aspirated for diagnosis or incised for symptomatic relief if patients are also given effective antibiotics.

Sex partners should be examined and treated if they had sexual contact with the patient during the 10 days before the patient’s symptoms began.

Patients with chancroid should have a serologic test for syphilis and HIV 3 months after being diagnosed with chancroid.