Accessing funded PrEP

Do I have to talk to my doctor about gay sex?

Though a doctor might not be high on the list of people you want to talk to about your sex life, it’s really important to be open and honest with them in order for you to get the best health outcomes.

Being prepared for what they might ask you may take some of the awkwardness out of the situation. They need to ask you questions about your current sexual practices to determine PrEP is suitable for you, they might ask you about who you have sex with, how often and if you’re using condoms or drugs. Remember, health professionals are required to keep the information you provide them confidential.

We recommend being as open as you can with your doctor, as suitability for PrEP is determined by the kind of sex you’re actually having. For example, if you’re a guy who is having sex with other guys, but you don’t tell your doctor that, they are pretty likely to tell you that you don’t need PrEP.

When you’re talking to a doctor, it can help to remember that they’re seeing many people every day, who all have very different concerns. Their job involves things like looking at infected wounds, giving injections to crying children, and talking to people who have very distressing, life-threatening conditions like cancer. For the doctor, talking to you about gay sex isn’t a big deal at all - in fact, it’s probably pretty low on the list of things they’ll even remember from that day.

But if you do encounter homophobia or PrEP-shaming attitudes from your doctor, you have every right to find another doctor. Getting the best healthcare is often about finding the right fit and the right professionals that meet your needs. We've put together a list of PrEP-friendly providers around New Zealand that you can access here.

How do I encourage my GP to prescribe me PrEP?

If your GP needs a little convincing, we have two different resources to help:

1. We have partnered with the NZSHS (NZ Sexual Health Service) to develop a standardised letter that you can download and take to your doctor, and this may help help with the conversation if you're worried about it. 
2. We have partnered with redseed to develop educational modules aimed at helping clinicians appropriately prescribe PrEP, and to better understand their gay and bisexual patients. To promote this, we have created a resource you can download and provide to your GP, which gives them all the information to sign up.