Last Updated: December 9, 2024
Sunday, December 1, was World AIDS Day, an opportunity to mourn the more than 32 million people worldwide who have died from AIDS-related illnesses.
In the U.S., the theme for this year’s World AIDS Day is “Collective Action: Sustain and Accelerate HIV Progress.” The Department of Health and Human Services says that, “This theme speaks to the remarkable advancements we have made in HIV care and prevention over the past four decades and to the ongoing effort to ensure that no communities are left behind as we work towards ending the HIV epidemic.”
RHHD’s PrEP Coordinator Bernard Stackhouse says that spending World AIDS Day both looking back and looking forward is important.
“We have to remember. And we also can’t forget how far we’ve come with medications and treatments,” he says. One of those game-changing medications is PrEP, or Pre-exposure prophylaxsis. PrEP reduces the risk of contracting HIV from sexual contact or injection drug use.
“Working in PrEP gives me that hope, that with a combination of prevention and treatment, we can end the spread of HIV. We have the tools, and we have to get people to use them. And the biggest parts of that are education and overcoming barriers that prevent people from taking their medication,” says Bernard. In honor of World AIDS Day, he shares some important information we should all know about PrEP:
- PrEP can be for anyone. Bernard talks to people who sometimes think PrEP is only for men who have sex with other men, but he sees people with a range of experiences and identities in RHHD’s PrEP program. “I want anyone who is sexually active or who has any reason to feel like they might be at risk for HIV to come talk about PrEP,” Bernard says.
- PrEP can be affordable. Bernard explains that there’s been a lot of progress in insurance coverage for both HIV prevention and treatment, but he knows that “insurance is overwhelming, period.” As part of the PrEP program, Bernard helps clients understand their insurance options for PrEP, apply for Medicaid, or access medication through pharmaceutical companies if they’re uninsured.
- PrEP prevents lengthier, more permanent, treatment. “You can take PrEP for as long as you need, and you can stop or start again when you need to. If you contract HIV, though, you’ll need to stay in treatment for the rest of your life. Having that option is wonderful, because treatment medications are safe and effective, but I’d rather see people preventing HIV to begin with!”
Bernard feels hopeful about the future of HIV care. “The prevention side of it—PrEP—works. And we have the other side, which is treatment, and that works. If the people who need prevention can access prevention and the people who need treatment are in treatment, we’ve achieved what we were looking for. Now we’re just working against the barriers that make that difficult.”
Bernard and his teammates are here to help reduce barriers community members might face in accessing PrEP and other HIV prevention or treatment services. Get to know Bernard and RHHD’s PrEP program by visiting the website or calling 804-664-2125.