A new health service for LGBT+ people has opened its doors in Pretoria, offering professional, stigma-free care at reasonable rates.
On 1 April, OUT LGBT Well-being hosted an opening ceremony for the initiative, named +DR. The service is described as an innovative doctor-led medical practice specialising in the healthcare needs of LGBT+ individuals.
Supporters, clients, staff and members of the LGBT+ community gathered at the OUT offices and the +DR consulting rooms in Lynnwood to mark the occasion.
“Our practice will be confidential and professional, and we have a deep understanding of the type of issues that specifically gay men experience, and the associated medical risk assessments and treatment,” said Dawie Nel, Director of OUT, at the launch.
OUT Returns to Pretoria with a Sustainable Healthcare Model
OUT is the second-oldest LGBT+ organisation in South Africa and has decades of experience providing free sexual health services to queer people in Pretoria, Johannesburg and the Eastern Cape.
However, many of the organisation’s programmes came to an halt in March 2025 after the United States government, its primary funder at the time, abruptly withdrew support from health programmes around the world.
The launch of +DR marks a return to healthcare services in Pretoria, but with a more sustainable model. Clients will pay for services, although the rates are designed to remain affordable compared with most private medical practices.
“It’s a new chapter for us,” said Nel. “This new project is also a way for us to diversify income and to look at other ways to continue making available the expertise that we have built up over so many years.”
Range of Services Offered by +DR
+DR will provide a broad range of medical and wellness services, including HIV prevention, treatment and management, STI testing and treatment, chemsex harm-reduction services, general health screenings, and the management of chronic diseases.
Clients can book appointments for face-to-face or online consultations with a doctor or nurse, knowing that they will receive care without feeling embarrassed or judged. The practice also accepts medical aids.
Vanessa Hechter, whose Sediba Hope Medical Centre has partnered with OUT on the project, said the service fills an important gap in Pretoria’s healthcare landscape.
She explained that +DR will offer “specialised services… but still remain affordable and cost-effective.”
How to Book an Appointment
For more information or to make an appointment with +DR, contact the clinic via:
WhatsApp: +27 72 113 6597
Phone: +27 12 430 3272 (weekdays)
Email: clinic@out.org.za
