There’s A Pill For That!
 
Consider this a public service announcement!
In Los Angeles County, women living with HIV are predominantly African American (35.4%) or Latina/Hispanic (44.8%), along with an estimated 30 % of transgender women, living with the virus. Today, there’s a pill for that! It’s called PrEP.
Heath professionals, dignitaries, and special guests gathered at the California African American Museum (CAAM) on Wednesday, October 24, 2018 for the launch of the “Sister Friends” video series for HIV awareness, informing women about a pill that can help stop the spread of the virus.
Me and Dr. Leo Moore, a clinical scholar and “Morehouse Man,” who spearheaded the “Sister Friends: Get PrEP’d” video campaign series for LA County Public Health.
The campaign is titled “Sister Friends: Get PrEP’d.” It hopes to increase the awareness and use of the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (or PrEP) pill among women who are at-risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The campaign is spearheaded by Dr. Leo Moore, who is a “Morehouse Man,” a clinical scholar and acting medical director of the Division of HIV and STD Programs at the LA County Department of Public Health.
Like a birth control pill, PrEP is a daily medicine that can prevent HIV infection for HIV-negative individuals who are at risk of being exposed to the virus. Although it is not a vaccine or a cure for HIV, PrEP can reduce the risk of HIV transmission by as much as 99 percent if taken daily as prescribed.
For the “Sister Friends” video series, LA County tapped Daytime Emmy winner and co-host of “The Real,” Loni Love as well as Alicia Machado (Miss Universe 1996) and actress Alexandra Grey (“Transparent” and “Glee”).
For many women, PrEP can be invaluable in staying healthy and HIV-negative when they have a partner who is HIV-positive. The PrEP pill has been shown to be safe for women to use while attempting to get pregnant and during pregnancy, as well as breastfeeding. Most insurance plans, including Medi-Cal, cover the cost of PrEP.
Do you know what this is? A female condom.
In 1991, I remember when basketball great Earvin “Magic” Johnson announced to the world that he had contracted HIV, which forced an early retirement of his basketball career. I was a news assistant at WCNC-TV in Charlotte, and all the tv monitors were tuned in to the “Breaking News.” I remember that my heart stopped and I cried. “This ‘shit’” is real,” I remember saying to myself. And since that day, I’ve gotten tested at every doctor’s appointment to know my status.
Believe it or not, some doctors thought it was unnecessary because I didn’t fall into any “at-risk groups.” Yet, here we are today with Black women disproportionately affected by HIV, and 87 % of woman diagnosed with HIV is through heterosexual contact, according to the CDC.
Kudos to medical advancement! If you want to know if the PrEP pill is right for you, visit www.getPrEPLA.com/women. Plus, a full directory of PrEP providers is available at www.GetPrEPLA.com.
LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX!
Check out the “Sister Friends: Get PrEP’d,” video series, featuring Daytime Emmy winner Loni Love of “The Real.” Press Play!