February 18, 2018 BY imani leave a comment
Despite advances in the treatment and prevention of HIV, many barriers still block African Americans and people of color from getting the health care they need. When it comes to HIV, that’s a big problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third Americans living with HIV are black. And while there’s a pill that can help prevent HIV, it’s most commonly used by white, gay men — even though black people are most at risk for contracting it. That’s why Planned Parenthood helped to spread awareness on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day by releasing new educational videos explaining pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), two HIV prevention medications.
The HIV prevention videos that launched on February 8 help explain the basics of the prevention tools, and encourage people to talk with their healthcare providers to learn more.
The PrEP video shares details about how the pill, which should be taken daily, can help people who are at higher risk for getting HIV. It also explains potential side effects and highlights that PrEP is covered by most health insurance plans, including Medicaid and Medicare.
Similarly, the PEP video explains the treatment to viewers. However, unlike PrEP, which is taken as a preventative measure against HIV, PEP “refers to emergency medicines after you’ve been exposed to HIV.” According to the video, PEP is a series of pills that must be taken over many weeks, and must be taken within 72 hours, or 3 days, of being exposed to HIV. Taking PEP can significantly lower a person’s chances of getting it.
The main difference between the two HIV prevention medicines is that PrEP can be taken to decrease the chance of contracting the virus, while PEP is taken after, and is not intended to replace practicing measures to prevent HIV. There are many ways to prevent contracting the virus, including using condoms, avoiding sharing needles, as well as taking PrEP.
Aside from the informational videos provided by Planned Parenthood, the website for National Black HIV/AIDs Awareness Day offers resources and toolkits with explanations for how to get educated, tested, involved, and treated for HIV/AIDs.
The healthcare nonprofit’s work to expand comprehensive HIV prevention services and to integrate PrEP services in clinics is carried out in partnership with The Black AIDs Institute, a national organization working to put an end to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in black communities by engaging and mobilizing black people and institutions.
“Education about HIV prevention tools like PrEP and PEP is critical as we work to serve communities disproportionately affected by HIV, including black women, men of color who have sex with men, Latinas, transgender people, and young people of all backgrounds,”Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood of Maryland, said in a news release. “Planned Parenthood is committed to increasing access to HIV prevention, education, testing, and treatment, as well as addressing HIV stigma and centering the critical work of community leaders who are bringing us closer to the end of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.”
More information specifically on HIV and PrEP can be found by visiting the CDC resource pageor Planned Parenthood’s HIV resource page.