Just in
case
The backup you keep on hand — for after
BareBack Backup is doctor-assessed STI prevention for sexually active gay and bi men. Like a fire extinguisher, you hope you won't need it — but you'll be glad it's there. A UK-registered clinician checks it's right for you first.
See if it's right for you →Think of it as Plan B for your sex life
Condoms break. Nights get spontaneous. For decades there's been a "just-in-case" backup for the morning after — now there's a doctor-assessed option built for gay and bi men too. BareBack Backup isn't a free-for-all and it isn't for everyone — it's a clinician-assessed prevention tool you keep on hand for after condomless sex. The first step is simply finding out if it's right for you.
STIs are at record highs
This isn't scaremongering — it's the data. And our community carries more of it than almost anyone. Sources are listed at the bottom of this page.
New STIs in England in a single year1
The highest number ever recorded — and demand on sexual-health services keeps climbing.
Rise in gonorrhoea since 20141,2
Diagnoses hit their highest level since records began over a century ago.
Rise in syphilis2,3
Infectious syphilis is at its highest level since 1948 — and still rising in the latest data.
Gay & bi men, out of all proportion1
GBMSM are affected far beyond our share of the population, year after year.
No symptoms ≠ no infection4
Many STIs show no signs at all — you can carry one, and pass it on, without ever knowing.
Testing tells you what happened.
A backup gets you ahead of it
BareBack Backup is a doctor-assessed layer of prevention you keep on hand — alongside condoms, PrEP and regular testing. Not instead of them.
Check if it's right for you →Simple. Discreet. Doctor-led
Quick suitability check
A few questions tell you whether BareBack Backup could be right for you. Honest — if it isn't, we'll say so.
A clinician reviews you
A UK-registered prescriber checks your history and decides whether it's clinically appropriate. A real doctor, not an algorithm.
Keep it on hand
If suitable, it's dispensed by our licensed pharmacy partners and delivered discreetly. You keep it ready — just in case.
Take it after
A single dose, taken within 72 hours of condomless sex — exactly as your clinician directs.
Is it right for you?
Tick what applies. Final suitability is always decided by a clinician.
Based on what you've told us, BareBack Backup could be right for you. The next step is a short assessment with a UK-registered prescriber, who makes the final decision.
From what you've ticked, this may not be the right fit right now — but a clinician can still talk you through your options and what would protect you best.
Guidance only — not a diagnosis. Final suitability is decided by a registered prescriber after a full assessment.
Used responsibly
BareBack Backup is a clinician-led tool — not a substitute for condoms, HIV PrEP or regular testing. In the UK the strongest evidence is for lowering syphilis risk in those at higher risk; it's not expected to prevent gonorrhoea, and it does not protect against HIV. Because over-using antibiotics can contribute to resistance, it's intended for people at elevated risk and every case is individually assessed and monitored. That's the point of the clinician check — it's there to make sure this is right, and safe, for you.
Dispensed by a real, UK-registered pharmacy
We're the digital health service — the front door, the questionnaire, the experience designed for gay men. The actual prescription is dispensed by a fully GPhC-registered UK pharmacy partner. That's how it has to work by law, and it's how it should work. We don't pretend to be a pharmacy. We work with one.
That means your medication goes through the same checks any prescription would at the high street pharmacy — but without the awkward bit. Same regulated UK supply chain, same quality, same standards. Just in a plain brown box on your doormat.
Care from someone who actually gets it
Yousef Yaghoubi has extensive experience in gay men's health, sexual health and patient care. He oversees Friend of Dorothy's Digital Clinic because he's seen how standard services can feel rushed, clinical and far from judgement-free.
Every request is reviewed by the clinical team — never an algorithm, never a chatbot.
Start your assessment →What they're saying
"Talking about this stuff usually feels awkward. Here it just felt like proper, judgement-free healthcare. Discreet from start to finish."
"The suitability check was honest — it didn't just say yes to everything. A clinician actually reviewed me before anything was prescribed."
"Plain packaging, clear instructions, easy to reach the team. Exactly what you want from something this personal."
BARE BACK BACKUP
Doctor-assessed · Prescription only · UK licensedDoctor-assessed STI-prevention you keep on hand, led by UK-registered prescribers who specialise in our community's health — supplied only where it's clinically right for you.
- Assessed by UK-registered prescribers who get gay men's health
- Supplied only if it's right for you — dispensed by licensed pharmacy partners
- A single dose, taken within 72 hours of condomless sex, as directed
- Plain, unmarked packaging — complete discretion to your door
- Ongoing clinical support and check-ins — never left on autopilot
Be ready
before you need it
The best time to sort your backup is before the moment arrives. Start with a free 30-second check — a clinician takes it from there. Free to get assessed. Only pay if it's right for you.
Check my suitability →The honest answers
It's a doctor-assessed form of STI prevention based on doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis ("doxyPEP") — a single dose taken after condomless sex to help lower the risk of certain bacterial STIs. In the UK it's recommended mainly for gay and bisexual men and trans women at higher risk. A clinician decides if it's appropriate for you.
In the UK, the strongest evidence is for lowering the risk of syphilis. It is not expected to prevent gonorrhoea here (because of high antibiotic resistance), and its benefit for chlamydia in this group is limited. Importantly, it does not protect against HIV — that's what PrEP is for — and it doesn't replace condoms or regular testing.
No — and we won't pretend otherwise. It's intended for people at elevated risk, and it's always clinician-assessed. Because over-using antibiotics can drive resistance, it isn't something to take "just because." The assessment exists to make sure it's the right call for you.
A single dose within 72 hours of condomless sex. Your clinician explains exactly how and when, and how often is appropriate for you.
Often, yes — many people use both. Tell the clinical team about everything you take, including PrEP, so they can make sure it's safe and right for you.
No. Everything arrives in plain, unmarked packaging with nothing on the outside to show what's inside or who it's from.
Take the free suitability check above. It takes about 30 seconds, costs nothing, and there's no obligation — you only pay if a clinician decides it's right to prescribe.
BareBack Backup (doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis) is a prescription-only treatment, available only after a consultation with a registered prescriber and only where clinically appropriate. It is not suitable for everyone, is intended for those at elevated risk, and is not a substitute for condoms, HIV PrEP or regular STI testing. As with all medicines, side effects are possible and over-use of antibiotics can contribute to antimicrobial resistance; your clinician will discuss this with you. Eligibility indications on this page are guidance only and not a diagnosis. Superintendent Pharmacist: Yousef Yaghoubi, GPhC no. 2218268.
Sources & references
- UK Health Security Agency, Sexually transmitted infections and screening for chlamydia in England: 2023 report (June 2024): 401,800 new STI diagnoses; gonorrhoea at record levels; gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men disproportionately affected. link
- House of Commons Library, Sexual health statistics for England (2025), citing UKHSA: gonorrhoea diagnoses rose ~129% and infectious syphilis ~114% between 2014 and 2023. link
- UK Health Security Agency, UKHSA publishes latest STI data (June 2025): infectious syphilis 9,535 in 2024; total syphilis including late-stage rose 5% to 13,030; acceleration in antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea. link
- UKHSA / NHS: many STIs are frequently asymptomatic. link
- BASHH, UK national guideline for the use of doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP) for the prevention of syphilis, 2025 (published 9 June 2025). link