Ask Your Doctor about Doxy-PEP
Ian Danger Capstick
I made this banner to create more awareness of Doxy-PEP in the queer community, a new sexual health strategy that most people haven't heard of yet.
Doxy-PEP (doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis) is a simple approach to preventing bacterial STIs. You take a single dose of the antibiotic doxycycline within 72 hours of possible exposure, and it can help protect against syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. Clinical trials have shown significant reductions in infection rates among men who have sex with men and trans women who used Doxy-PEP.
The reason I made a banner about it is straightforward: public health messaging in queer communities has historically relied on fear. I wanted to make something that felt like information rather than a warning: practical, direct, even a little playful. Ask your doctor. That's it. The Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC) has detailed resources, including material you can bring to your appointment.
Design and Construction
The banner uses an American traditional tattoo aesthetic: bold outlines, flat colour, vintage lettering. I chose this style because tattoo culture and queer culture have been intertwined for decades. The graphic was created by Matthew Britton Illustration, and the font is Tattoo Museum by Woodcutter BCN.
The banner itself is quilting cotton constructed with raw edge appliqué. The tattoo-style imagery translates well to fabric, the bold outlines read clearly at a distance, and the flat colour fields are well-suited to appliqué construction. It's designed to look like a piece of flash art you might see on a tattoo parlour wall, rendered in thread and cloth instead of ink.
