PrEParing for Change: Black Voices Leading the Charge on HIV Awareness
February 7th, 2024, marked Black HIV/AIDS Day, prompting a crucial conversation about PrEP for Black women, femmes, and QTPOC. Let's explore some PrEP options:
DESCOVY for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a once-daily prescription medicine for adults and adolescents at risk of HIV. It effectively lowers the chances of contracting HIV through sex. However, DESCOVY for PrEP is not suitable for everyone. It is not recommended for people assigned female at birth at risk of getting HIV from vaginal sex, as its effectiveness has not been studied. Furthermore, one must be HIV-negative before and during the use of DESCOVY for PrEP.
APRETUDE is another prescription medicine used for HIV-1 PrEP to reduce the risk of infection in adults. Administered every other month by a healthcare provider, APRETUDE requires initiation injections given 1 month apart for 2 consecutive months. It is imperative to remain under a provider’s care and adhere to the scheduled administration.
For STD prevention, DoxyPEP, a prescription antibiotic regimen, can be taken after an unprotected sexual encounter to reduce the risk of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. Similar to emergency contraception for pregnancy prevention, DoxyPEP is designed to proactively protect against STDs when taken promptly after unprotected sex.
As a PrEP user for 7 years, becoming a PrEP advocate empowered me. My life journey as a Black woman of trans experience and a survivor of sexual assault gave me a voice and platform, restoring my autonomy and power in relationships and the often challenging "dating scene," rooted in hook-up culture, patriarchy, and trans-misogynoir. I became the first transwoman member of The Statewide Action Planning Group for HIV and AIDS in WI. Eventually, I became the first trans woman Co-chair of this state’s HIV board and a Black Women's Ambassador of Biomedical Prevention for The Black AIDS Institute, my first national leadership role dedicated to raising awareness for cis and trans-Black women about PrEP.
In today's world, you can't entrust your sexual health solely to your partner(s). Here's why:
- Black people constitute 40% of new HIV infections, despite accounting for only 13% of the population.
- African American males have an AIDS rate 8.1 times higher than white males.
- African American females have an AIDS rate 15 times higher than white females.
- African American men are 6.0 times more likely to die from HIV infection than non-Hispanic white men.
- African American women are 15.3 times more likely to die from HIV infection than white women.
- Black Trans folx are 47 times more likely to contract HIV.
However, significant progress is being made with U=U (undetectable=utransmittable), where individuals adhering to their HIV treatment no longer pose a risk of transmission to their partners. Please join us on March 7, 2024, at the Zilber School of Public Health for an event on Black Women’s role(s) in PrEP expansion and education:
Educate, Engage, and Understand: A Multidimensional Discussion on PREP for Black Cisgender Women
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health
1240 N 10th St, Room 590
Milwaukee, WI, 53205
March 7, 2024, from 9am-4pm
This blog was written by Elle Halo.
