Patients seeking doxycycline as a ‘morning-after pill’ are being turned away by GPs, says a patient sexual health organisation.

ACON — formerly the AIDS Council of NSW — is now drafting a letter for patients to take to appointments to encourage GPs to prescribe doxycycline as post-exposure prophylaxis (doxy-PEP).

“We know that a lot of gay and bisexual men are happy with their chosen HIV prevention option and using condoms when they feel it’s needed,” said Matthew Vaughan, ACON’s director of HIV and Sexual Health.

“But if we’re trying to look at reducing STIs within our communities, gay men like options, so being able to have access to doxy-PEP will go a long way for chlamydia, syphilis and to some extent, gonorrhoea.”