G-A-Y Bar, a nightlife fixture in London’s Soho, turned into a pop-up sexual health clinic last week, offering vaccines and DoxyPEP to hundreds of patrons. The popular gay bar partnered with 56 Dean Street, an NHS clinic specializing in sexual health and HIV prevention, to host the September 18 event, with another scheduled for September 25.
The first pop-up drew about 550 people, with lines stretching down Old Compton Street. Inside, booths were turned into makeshift consultation rooms where patrons received advice, as pop anthems played, reports the BBC.
Lawrence O’Connell, a senior nurse at 56 Dean Street, said the goal of the pop-up is to reduce stigma and anxiety around sexual health and to meet people where they are.
According to the BBC, gay and bisexual men accounted for 75% of syphilis and 70% of gonorrhea cases in London last year. Nationwide, gonorrhea diagnoses hit a record high of more than 85,000 in 2023 — triple the 2012 figure — before dropping to 71,000. Health experts warn of a growing number of antibiotic-resistant cases, while syphilis has also continued to rise.
The vaccine offered, Bexsero, was originally developed to protect against meningitis B. Recent studies suggest it may cut the risk of gonorrhea by about 40%. Two doses are needed for full protection.
Alongside the vaccine, health workers prescribed DoxyPEP, a dose of doxycycline that, when taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, lowers the risk of STIs such as chlamydia and syphilis. It is currently recommended only for gay and bisexual men and trans women who have recently had an STI or who regularly have new or multiple partners.
O’Connell cautioned that the vaccine and DoxyPEP should not be seen as standalone solutions, but used alongside other prevention methods such as condoms or PrEP.
On September 5, the World Health Organization declared that Africa's mpox outbreak is no longer considered an international health emergency.
The announcement was a relief for many in the LGBTQ community, as one variant, Clade II, spread rapidly among men who have sex with men (MSM). At the virus's peak, the United States reported nearly 500 cases per day.
The virus causes flu-like symptoms and, most notably, painful rashes, lesions, and scabbing. With an incubation period of 3 to 17 days, many people don't realize they are infected until visible symptoms appear.
Whitman-Walker will host its 39th annual Walk & 5K to End HIV at Anacostia Park on Saturday, Sept. 20.
The event, which has served as the health organization's chief fundraiser for nearly four decades, brings together thousands of residents and local businesses -- some as corporate sponsors or fund-matching partners -- to raise money for Whitman-Walker's patient services.
This year marks the fourth time the event has been held east of the Anacostia River, in Southeast D.C., where many of Whitman-Walker's patients live and where HIV rates remain among the highest in the city.
The Trump administration has agreed to settle a lawsuit by restoring webpages containing health- and science-related information, including resources on HIV and LGBTQ health issues, that had been deleted to comply with a series of executive orders issued by President Donald Trump.
Those orders sought to erase transgender identity from federal law, prohibited agencies from using the term "gender" in policy, and targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across government and the private sector.
Other Trump orders targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in both government and the private sector, and threatened to strip federal funding from events or organizations accused of promoting so-called "gender ideology."
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