tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72843959493694002582024-03-12T15:04:16.175-07:00My PrEP ExperienceNewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-45100892962809212012015-07-26T16:19:00.001-07:002015-07-29T06:45:52.649-07:00Joel - "I was still scared, but something funny happened..."<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Here I am taking PrEP on a daily basis. I will admit I have become more open to sex without condoms. My fears still linger and I am trying to work through them.<br /> </i><i><br /></i><i>I have been diagnosed with STIs. When I was using condoms consistently that was never the case.<br /> </i><i><br /></i><i>But I am HIV free.</i></h4>
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via Joel Alcaraz</div>
Seattle, WA<br />Twitter: @joelalcaraz92<br />
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It’s been one year since I have started taking the FDA approved pill called Truvada for HIV prevention. The only sanctioned medicine (aka PrEP or pre-exposure prophylaxis) that prevents HIV infection, Not even condoms are approved by the FDA to prevent HIV. <br />
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Thoughts so far?<br />
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I have not been infected or diagnosed with HIV. I take cyclical STI exams with my doctor. Because of my paranoia I go every month and a half. <br />
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When I started to accept that I liked men at 16, I also acquired a deep sense of fear over HIV. Any sexual interaction was meet with condom inspections after intercourse. I was “safe” 100% of the time. Condom usage if done correctly is between 70-97% effective in preventing infection. Those numbers constantly created anxiety. I’d be anxious about the previous night’s blow job and run to my local HIV testing center when class was over.<br />
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Men who were HIV positive, I’d shun and turn away. My fear was so deep I could barely kiss them without thinking about the terrorist virus within their bodies. </h3>
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I was scared of them. I didn’t want to become them, but my thoughts haunted me, chanting “not positive yet.”<br />
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Into my Junior year, a guy I dated cheated on me. Usually I have condom-less sex with men I trusted, recently tested, and who I thought I might have a future with. He admitted one night he had been sleeping bareback with his ex while we were dating. I freaked out, locked myself in the bathroom and pictured a soon to be death sentence announced by a drop of blood.<br />
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I called the emergency line at my school’s mental help hotline. I was having an anxiety attack locked up in a dorm bathroom. The man on the line managed to calm me down and told me to explain the situation to my doctor the next morning. What had passed had passed. <br />
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The next day I told my doctor about the situation and collected samples of my bodily fluids. He also told me about PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis), a course of HIV meds taken for a month after a potential exposure that could prevent me from acquiring HIV if taken within a 72 hour window period after exposure. He gave me the prescription and sent me away. My results came back negative.<br />
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The next two years I took PEP three times. Once, with a stranger where there was a condom break. Twice with my ex, my intimacy only seemed to spur paranoia. I am sexually active, my numbers are pretty high. I crave the flesh of another man, but fear is high. I enjoyed sex without condoms, but the thought of HIV always deterred me and sent me into an anxiety driven state.<br />
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So I continued educating myself about HIV. Read studies about this new prevention strategy called PrEP. If there was a post-exposure medication, what about pre-exposure? I discussed it with my doctor and he managed to get it approved for me considering the amount of accidents I had reported to him. <br />
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The perfect time too, since I had just broken up with my ex, and I knew my behavior would be more promiscuous considering my alcohol induced sexual splurges to help qualm the pain.</h3>
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For nearly a month I had bowel issues. Not a great start, but it did help quell anxiety. If taken every day there was a very high chance (upwards of 90%) I would not be infected with HIV, and that was if the other person was POZ had a detectable viral load. If they were undetectable the chances were less than one percent. So I dated a man who was HIV positive, undetectable. We had sex, without condoms, and it was terrifying. He assured me I would be okay, he was very well acquainted with the drug and knew members of the community who were experts on the matter.<br />
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But it was hard to be intimate with him. I was still scared, but something funny happened. </h3>
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I began to see him less as a bogey man, and more of a human being. He had HIV, but he was perfectly healthy. Just like me he took one pill a day. Essentially I was living his life, but taking a pill to prevent the virus from attaching itself to me. While he was taking it to keep viral loads levels low. Every morning before work, we would both take the pill and head off. <br />
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I still deal with my fear of HIV, but I don’t see it as a death sentence anymore. I’ve become more open to the idea of dating POZ men. From time to time I still cringe at the idea the pill might be a farce, a conspiracy to infect gay men with false hope. People on hookup apps call me a Truvada whore whenever I put I am on PrEP. Oftentimes, they are HIV+ themselves. <br />
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There lies the root of the problem, shame. The same people in our community have issues with the morality of the pill. Just as the right has issues with birth control and the HPV vaccine. It will only promote more whoredom they say. Men who said they were not at risk, contracted it, now spout the “condoms only” argument.<br />
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Deep down I was ashamed of pleasure. The pleasure of another man, flesh to flesh. Intimacy issues ensnared into bodily behaviors. </h2>
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Yet, I was still going about my business sleeping around. The fear of HIV lies in the fear of another stigma, a deserved stigma by the larger sect of society on gay men. The zeitgeist being a just punishment for their immoral behavior. It was only a matter of when. I was still ashamed of being gay and liking men. That’s where my fear manifested from, I was ashamed of being gay and feared I deserved to contract HIV and die.<br />
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But here I am taking PrEP on a daily basis. I will admit I have become more open to sex without condoms. My fears still linger and I am trying to work through them. I have been diagnosed with STIs. When I was using condoms consistently that was never the case. But I am HIV free. Gonorrhea and Chlamydia are treatable, and you can still get them even if you use condoms for anal sex, oral sex is where they get you!<br />
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Hopefully in my lifetime there will be a vaccine for HIV. Until then this is the next best thing, a once a day pill. Even if you use condoms all the time, there will be slip ups, God knows I never planned for one. You fall for someone and trust them and have unprotected sex. Boom, you’re infected that is how my ex who is HIV+ contracted it. Statistically most HIV infections occur from people you know and trust.<br />
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Humans are emotional animals, they seek pleasure and sometimes in the heat of the moment we don’t make intelligent decisions. Taking PreP has not only prevented me from getting an infection, but it has humanized those who do have it. </h3>
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I doubt I would ever have had sex with a POZ man before PrEP. It’s actually safer, considering men who say they are negative oftentimes don’t know their status and their viral levels are dangerously high. While POZ men who know their status and are on treatment can have undetectable levels.<br />
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You always roll the dice when you hook up or date someone. If someone infected you one day, and the next week you went to the doctor for a check up it would likely not show up in your results.<br />
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So go and get yourself checked, ask about PrEP and see if it’s right for you. Or at the very least have a PEP kit available in case an accident occurs. Protect yourself, its time to be an AIDS free generation. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding PrEP I am happy to answer and regale you with my own perspective.<br />
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Cheers. And Happy Pride!<br />
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[If you want to connect with Joel, find him on Twitter @joelalcaraz92]<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-33689647111833797982015-07-21T06:19:00.004-07:002015-07-21T06:24:19.485-07:00"PrEP is my wake up call to a reality that I need to protect myself and stop putting my life in others' hands."<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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via Christopher Wilson<br />
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Rochester, NY<br />
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On August 18, 2014, I posted, “I chose to begin taking<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/prevention/research/prep/"> </a>pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, as another way to take back control of my life. As a man of color who is also same-gender-loving the odds are against me in quite a few ways. Instead of allowing the world to get me, I’m taking a stand with my health.” Well it is almost a year later and I am still taking PrEP but my reasons have changed slightly.<br />
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<b><a href="https://astoldbychristiawn.wordpress.com/2015/07/14/taking-care-of-self-ii/">Read the rest of the story on Christopher's blog</a></b>. <br />
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And thanks Christopher for sharing your story with My PrEP Experience, and the world! Personal experiences and testimonials from people using PrEP - like you - are so powerful and help many, many other people clarify their own decisions around sexual health and wellness, whether PrEP is their choice or not.</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-89946369752084344962015-07-16T04:00:00.000-07:002015-07-16T04:00:00.614-07:00Happy PrEP-Aversary!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iHB1NOPL-NM/VaZ23kOxZtI/AAAAAAAAx_4/d0dF4eDbxuc/s1600/happy-birthday-prep-pt2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iHB1NOPL-NM/VaZ23kOxZtI/AAAAAAAAx_4/d0dF4eDbxuc/s320/happy-birthday-prep-pt2.png" width="320" /></a>Today is the Third Anniversary of the <strong><a href="http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm312210.htm">FDA's approval</a></strong> of Truvada for HIV prevention, otherwise known as PrEP. <br />
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Happy Birthday!<br />
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#yayPrEP!<br />
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#PrEPworks!<br />
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PrEP involves an HIV-negative person taking a pill every day - called Truvada - to prevent becoming infected with HIV. But PrEP isn't just a pill, it's a program that includes visits with your healthcare provider four times a year, regular HIV and STD screening, ongoing medical monitoring, sexual health counseling and adherence support. <br />
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PrEP is revolutionizing safer sex. And you are living in historical, exciting times.<br />
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In the past three years, much PrEP progress has been made - more people are aware of PrEP and more people have access to it - in Chicago and across the country. But so much remains to be done. We have to do much better getting PrEP to people who are most vulnerable. We need to dramatically improve awareness and access in the communities where HIV rates remain high - among young gay black men, transgender women, and black cisgender heterosexual women in particular.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>We - the collective we - are far from fulfilling the promise and potential of PrEP. And we will only get there - </strong></span><span style="font-size: large;"><strong> collectively and collaboratively - </strong></span><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>through strong, sustained community mobilization, <em>including YOU.</em></strong></span><br />
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With that said, please share this post and visit us on Facebook - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ProjectRSP"><strong>Project RSP</strong></a> - to help get the word out about PrEP. And talk to your friends about PrEP, whether you are taking it yourself or you're a PrEP advocate and ally. <br />
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Be sure to check out all the informational links on this blog for everything from <a href="http://myprepexperience.blogspot.com/p/what-is-prep.html"><strong>fact sheets</strong></a> to <a href="http://myprepexperience.blogspot.com/p/payment-support-for-prep.html"><strong>financial assistance resources</strong></a> to a <a href="http://myprepexperience.blogspot.com/p/chicago-area-prep-clinics-and-providers.html"><strong>Chicago-area PrEP provider listing</strong></a>. <br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-75749032420797600762015-05-28T14:05:00.001-07:002015-05-28T14:05:33.101-07:00Michael - "Without the constant fear of HIV infection, I can engage in sex with the love of my life." <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I take the medication every morning (on an empty stomach – I’m not a breakfast person). And yet, no side effects – except one: I no longer have the deep seated anxiety I would have after a sexual encounter. </b></span></i><br />
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<br />by Michael P.<br />Westchester County, NY<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The theme here is perseverance.</span></b><br />
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I’m a gay man involved in a very long term relationship with the love of my life (over 20 years together). But, we are not without our difficulties – and being men, and being men who grew up gay in a time when that wasn’t accepted, discussed, or even acknowledged, our stresses often lead to using sex as an outlet – and not necessarily in a healthy way. <br />
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The impact of growing up as we did can lead, let’s just say, to difficulties with monogamy. <br />
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And, as I believe any honest man – gay or straight – will admit, being ‘safe’ is a difficult, stressful goal. And, even when you are ‘safe’ you always wonder . . . was I safe enough? <br />
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The long term stress of that single question can ruin a relationship, take years off your life in worry, and even lead to patently unsafe sexual activity (trust me on that, okay?) And so with all these tensions – further complicated because of the impact (real and imagined) on my relationship with the love of my life – I found myself tracking the development of HIV and AIDS medications over the last 30 years. It was that knowledge that led me to seek out PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) once, about 7 years ago, after a particularly self-destructive bout of unsafe sexual activity (it is amazing what the confluence of job dissatisfaction, and financial difficulties can lead one to do!)<br />
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And so, following the development of new drugs, I learned that that is a medication (Truvada) that can reduce my chances of contracting HIV by better than 90% - ninety percent!? <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Are you kidding? Why the hell isn’t this common knowledge? </b></span><br />
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I suspect the answer to that question is wrapped up in the same nonsense that led to the fact of the disease not making the news when it first broke back in the ‘80s. But, suffice it to say that there is medication that can significantly reduce the chance of HIV transmission. And, armed with that knowledge, I reached out to my physician. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Round One. </span></b><br />
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You would think that living in a suburb of New York City would entitle me to physicians who are up to speed on matters such as HIV prevention. But, no. I first discussed the fact that I wanted to begin PrEP in November with my general practitioner. At first she wanted me to see an Infectious Disease specialist and freely admitted that she was not up to speed in PrEP. I offered to provide her with materials that should provide her with basic knowledge. <br />
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I was unable to locate an ID specialist in my area who was a participating insurance provider, plus normal human procrastination set in. When I saw my physician next I was armed with material from the Centers for Disease Control. However, my physician was still reluctant to write the prescription. I next checked out the Westchester County Health Department’s website and found a program dedicated solely to HIV and AIDS issues (check them out: <b><a href="http://www.riversidehealth.org/SpecialtyServices/HopeCenter.aspx">The Hope Center at St. John’s Riverside Hospital</a>.</b> The staff is absolutely amazing and they are extremely dedicated.) It was through them that I finally secured the prescription for Truvada (the PrEP medication). <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Round Two.</b> </span><br />
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I have prescription drug coverage which covers both retail pharmacies and mail order. I would get a better deal through mail order, but since I was eager to begin the protocol I decided to take the prescription to a retail pharmacy. Denied. <br />
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The physician from the Hope Center filed an appeal with the insurance company. Denied. <br />
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I received two denial notices from CVS/Caremark on the same day: Notice of Denial and Denial of Appeal. The only reason provided was this - “Truvada is not a covered medication.” <br />
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After a few days of trying to figure out how to handle the denials I contacted the New York State advocacy group named in the denial letters. They tried to be helpful, but honestly, it wasn’t worth the time. They freely admitted that they would be unable to help and guided me toward programs designed for persons with lower incomes. Their plan being that I could just get the prescription filled and have a program pay for the entire retail cost. However, I knew I wouldn’t qualify (I earn too much to qualify, but nowhere near enough to pay for the prescription myself). <br />
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Since the denial letter stated that Truvada was not covered by the plan, I decided to contact my Human Resources department. They were very, very professional (a bit surprising since we are a small company and tend to be overly familiar with each other). I did not have to explain the whole story (though I was more than willing too). Instead I merely explained that a prescription had been denied. <br />
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Within an hour - literally - they had contacted the plan administrator who called CVS/Caremark and the denial was transformed into an approval. I received a telephone call from the retail pharmacy to let me know that the prescription was ready for pick up. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Round Three.</b> </span><br />
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So now it has been about twenty days that I’m on the PrEP protocol. I take the medication every morning (on an empty stomach – I’m not a breakfast person). And yet, no side effects – except one: I no longer have the deep seated anxiety I would have after a sexual encounter. And, since my anxiety was generalized, I would feel anxious even after a sexual encounter that didn’t involve any unsafe activity. <br />
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But I continue to persevere: I can feel that my attitudes toward sex are less frantic, less fraught with fear and anxiety. I’ve even observed small improvements in my sexual relationship with the love of my life. Apparently, without the constant fear of HIV infection, I can engage in sex with the love of my life. <br />
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In time, with continued perseverance, it is actually possible that this protocol may restore some sanity to my mind and heart.</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-51730121456316280172015-04-20T09:52:00.000-07:002015-04-20T09:52:26.264-07:00Paul from Cape Town - "What if all your anxiety, your fear, your doubt... Just one pill... It could disappear?"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>It’s at this moment I should don my leather jacket, put on my sunglasses and say in my Matrix voice “What if? What if I told you that this world that you see before your eyes could change with a pill? What if all your anxiety, your fear, your doubt... Just one pill... It could disappear?"</i></h2>
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via Paul Watson<br />
Cape Town, South Africa<br />
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The first time I met him was at an orgy.<br />
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It wasn’t one of those romantic moments from Cosmopolitan magazine. Nor was it one of those love story moments that make you feel like a sociopath for not ever having been in one of those hazy coffee shop situations …. but, we recognized each other.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>He was naked, sweat glistening on his body, and when he got up, his cock seemed to be the one that wanted to shake hands.</strong></span> <br />
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My clothes were off and we were soon in a tangle of arms and legs. In amongst the temptations, salty kisses and heaving men - it was his eyes that I sought out. It was his hand that held mine in the throes of passion. It was his warm hand that touched and caressed me as I lay there thinking about an escape. But I digress, a bit of background information may be required to follow the thread of this story.<br />
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I am not a handsome devil or a cherub-faced guy. I am just your normal, run-of-the-mill, everyday man. But that’s what makes me so dangerous. I smell like a man, I look like a man, I have grey streaks in my beard and tiny laugh lines at the outer corners of my eyes. I have a wry smile and a naughty glint in my eyes. I can track a smile from way across a room and am very aware of any mans’ lingering gaze on my crotch. Through many years of practice my success rate is pretty high – although I don’t always get the guy. <br />
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In banks, shopping malls, gyms, out jogging, I spot them - looking. I always make the first move. A greeting, a friendly “Hello” and, once I have the slight confirmation of mutual “lust”, I swiftly move in for the kill. Like a slathering and ravenous wolf that hunts alone, I have taken singles, couples and sometimes groups.<br />
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My taste in men is real men! They range from hairy-backed bear-like men to smooth-chested accountants to beer-bellied and chain-smoking alcoholics. Married men, straight men, gay men - I don’t discriminate. Sometimes I string them along if the sex is good but, often, it’s a once off mutual understanding of lust and release. To have sex with a man is an all-encompassing and overpowering urge. An urge that is so great that it overshadows all else and, like a scalding knife that cuts into your brain, short circuiting all thoughts other than the one goal – to get one thing. SEX!<br />
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"This isn’t me," I hear you cry, "I do not have urges like that." <br />
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I cannot relate. Being gay in the 1980’s until the present day has had some very interesting parallels. Where once I was ashamed and hid my sexuality for fear of rejection. I now find that, even though I am an openly gay man, I still have a largely hidden private life. <br />
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In my twenties, my boyfriend at that time introduced me to a man who would sit at the end of the local gay bar with a cigarette in one hand and glass of wine in the other who would deliver a string of witty comeback remarks that had us in stitches. A few short months later we stood beside his bed in the local hospice saying our goodbyes to him. I remember his pleading eyes in a sunken face - betrayed by the disease that ravaged his body. This was a harsh early lesson learned regarding the realities of the AIDS generation and the consequences of erratic condom use. At the time, my own condom use was approximately 50%. People don’t always think in the heat of passion, they just dive on in and deal with consequences later. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Show me a man that has a 100% condom usage rate, and I will show you a politician in the making.</b></span><br />
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This experience certainly scared me enough to use a condom or to at least, limit myself to one partner at a time for a while. Like most victims of the AIDS epidemic, names and faces would just fade like some melting ice berg. Here today, gone tomorrow - and the uncaring world and life goes on. <br />
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The truth is - the world NEVER stops. <br />
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In this life, no one gets out alive … No-one.<br />
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It was after I had sex with Mr O on a number of occasions that he advised me of his HIV status. He was HIV positive. He told me as we lay together, holding on to each other as if the world were disappearing beneath our feet. I could feel him clinging on to me - almost expecting me to jump off the bed and run hysterically down the street. Inside I was screaming - I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to cry, and plead - but I was surprised by my own actions. <br />
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I kissed him instead. Mr O, with his placid nature and his understanding eyes cradled me in his arms as if protecting me from a terrifying storm. There was something even stronger than the tempest inside of me, HIV/AIDS, death … These things were part of him, a huge part. These things ruled his life and had done so for years. Would they start to rule mine as well?<br />
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After he told me, I was filled with mixed emotions. I wanted to run, I wanted to get away. It was as if I had been burnt by a flame. Things I’d read in magazines, information spread by the media and things that friends and acquaintances had said swirled around in my head. I wished them gone - this HIV thing had become too real. Even language and means of communication has changed, we whisper in each others’ ears “Are you clean?”. These words contain so much negative stigma that this disease has spread. We say it as though someone with HIV is dirty, an unclean and unholy thing.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>When I left him - I ran. </b><b>I ran to be tested. </b></span><br />
<br />It had been three years since my last test and I’d liaised with about 150 men during that time. Who bothers to count, it’s just a recreational pastime. During the process of thinking about, planning and being tested I comforted myself in the one way I knew would soothe my soul, even if just for a short while. Sex! As my phone chimed and the hook up was set I buried all thoughts of HIV and tried to lose myself in someone else. My next partner was married. The sex wasn’t messy, it just wasn’t completely safe. Empty promises of repeat performances were exchanged. As soon as he was out of the door, the guilt set in.<br />
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<br />It hit me like a ton of bricks. What IF? Loads of what IFS …. </h3>
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The anger, the frustration, the self-hate. My composure and my masks sliding, one by one. I decided the very next day to make the decision to be tested and to stick with it.<br />
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I really don’t want to be like some of my friends. They never sleep with anyone, they stay at home and watch movies and seem to mourn their lost love life. The fear of getting the disease has over-powered them, rendered theme petrified and they sit in complete misery and isolation. They have this burning desire and need for love but the fear just keeps them from ever making a connection. <br />
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Condom use is not always the norm and there are other ways the disease can be transmitted. <br />
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There are so many people with a burning loathe of the virus that shun people at the mere mention of HIV. I can say this with real conviction as I, myself, used to be that person.<br />
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I believe that it’s the fear of the unknown that has paralysed these people. It’s the fear of their own tenuous mortality. These very same people attend Gay Pride marches, waving banners of equality for all “Stop Homophobia” they say. Away from the marches and public displays of solidarity, a few short acronyms such as HIV and AIDS has them turning their backs on their brothers. It’s a new strain of virus called Inter-Homophobia. It’s rotting gay society from the inside! It’s not AIDS or HIV, but the stigma attached that is slowly eating away and slowly poisoning people. It’s not the people that have disclosed their status - it’s those that haven’t. They are the ones to watch out for.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>I’ve heard it said that there are five statuses now - Positive, Negative, Undetectable, PrEP and, the most dangerous, Unknown.</strong></span><br />
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I understand the term “bug chasers” now. I understand those just wanting to just get it and deal with it, get it over and done with so that the fear is eradicated. I really understand now because maybe I was one of them in another life.<br />
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I sat there at the Nurses station, the fear of God inside me. Scenarios were formulating in my mind, plans for a short future. Who would I tell? It happened like a blur, I remember watching the nurse’s mouth moving and the drone of noise in the background. I went through the motions. I produced my finger and, with a click, a drop of bright red blood oozed from the pin prick hole. Just one drop! I looked at it quizzically and realized that it could change my life forever. As I gently dabbed it on the testing kit my eyes blurred. From being a well composed, polite and “fun” person I melted into an anguished and totally terrified man. A thought formed in my mind. Why put yourself through such trauma - just bury it. Stick it in that hole - sex could cover it all up. Two drops from an eyedropper and I could swear the sound of those drops hitting the kit was like two deafening drum beats. The nurse jabbered on. I remember her saying that she would open the clinic when someone approached her after hours to be tested as she knows how difficult it is to take that first step to get tested. The pink line moved forward. I held my breath and slowly released it through clenched teeth. The nurse jabbered on. The plastic skeleton in her office seemed to grin knowingly at me.<br />
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When she said the word “Negative” - the first word that left my mouth was a barked shout of “What?“<br />
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The feeling of total disbelief was palpable. I sat there in a state of cataclysmic shock. She had said “Negative” - there had to be a mistake. I had been with hundreds of men, some I had used condoms with, some I hadn’t. Some I had had vanilla sex with but, with most men, I’d done things that would have livened up a porn movie.<br />
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A friend told me that although the media has led us to believe that HIV is some highly virulent, highly contagious disease, you only have a 30% chance of getting it from a direct hit. Let me repeat that - 30%. But that is just one side of the coin. <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Scratch around on the Internet and you’ll be consumed by a quagmire of total confusion. </b></span><br /><br /> Nothing in the medical history of mankind that has scientists and medical people more confused that this little virus. Even rumors of re-infection have divided camps. When you get flu can you get it again? So while people die, and people lie, Scientists fight and endless pages of garbage is written. And, the virus survives, it mutates, and it hides behind the smiles of those you least suspect.<br />
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I left nurse’s office like a Zombie. All my formulated plans of seeking help and starting a course on ARV’s all flew out of the window. The one thing that scared me the most though was how I would face Mr O?<br />
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Two positives don’t make a right, but we had been having unprotected sex together, he had disclosed he was on ARV’s but this still didn’t make it any easier. Could I avoid sex with him? Why can’t I just move on? Why can’t I start trying to use condoms more often and maybe change my ways? I had just dodged a bullet ,more like machine gun fire but maybe that’s been a bit dramatic. I think it was more along the lines of a nuclear strike. <br />
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When it came to our encounter, I just let go, no drugs, no thoughts, I just let go and let him take me. He knew there was something happening, this inner battle raging, and he did what he needed. He was just there. Thank god for Google, statistics, stories, blogs, it’s all there. Scientific papers, for, against .It’s all there, way too much of everything, to many contradictions, too much information. <br />
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One website said 1 in 72 chance of getting infected with HIV if you sleep with a HIV guy on ARV’s. Another website said zero chance, it is now known as the NEW way to have bareback sex and be safe, Find a guy on ARVs as he is safer to be with than anyone else. Who did I believe, I was back in the darkness, groping around for answers. All this information, all this knowledge who would I believe?<br />
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I remember the feeling of sorrow, it was like losing a part of myself, like when you were small and get lost in the mall, that helpless feeling. I don’t love the guy. I like him, yes, but he was still dangerous. And I like dangerous. So maybe it’s like playing with a tiger or some volatile bomb, that any moment it can turn on you and obliterate you.<br /><br />Run my mind said, stay and play said my heart, compassion over powering my self-preservation.<br />
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I tested negative again. A smaller part of me was disappointed and this new feeling started to creep in. Hope. Yes maybe hope. Been a while since I rolled the taste of hope around in my mouth. All those jaundiced thoughts, prejudices and misconceptions seemed to bubble to the surface. <br />
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So we talked, ARVs , CD4 counts and all those other AIDS/HIV keywords. We don’t talk about them, we don’t talk about this disease. It’s something other people get. The promiscuous, the drug user, the ones who sleep with other races. <br />
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On TV we see endless streams of African people, emaciated, dying on hospital beds. We see gay men crying over their partners that they lost from blood transfusions. I can’t relate, I won’t relate, it doesn’t get to me. Tom Hank crawling on the floor, sunken cheeked Drag queens at Pride marches .The face of aids via the media has led us to believe that we can see it. Yellow sallow skin, weak limbs and gaunt haunted eyes. <br />
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So when Mr Right comes along, barrel chest brimming with health and a twinkle in his eyes, you won’t see it coming, you won’t see that little virus slip into your blood steam as you orgasm in pleasure, and that is what made ME so dangerous.<br />
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It’s at this moment I should don my leather jacket, put on my sunglasses and say in my Matrix voice “What if? What if I told you that this world that you see before your eyes could change with a pill? What if all your anxiety, your fear, your doubt... Just one pill... It could disappear?"</h2>
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PrEP – Truvada , call it what you want. It’s a relatively new drug, highly controversial, but it’s here. Studies say up to 80 % chance of blocking the HIV virus, others say 100 % .It’s now used in treating people who have had exposure to the HIV virus after a 72 hour window. But still people have approached it with caution. <br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">Take one pill a day and you’re protected.</span></strong> <br />
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I am amazed, here is another protection mechanism, surely sexually active people should be bashing down doors to get it. Not at all. I heard about this from Mr O. A passing mention, nothing concrete. I am high risk. You might not be, but if you sleep with me in a moment of “weakness” you are now that high risk. We are human, and sometimes what our friends and families don’t know can harm us.<br />
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For the first time in years, here is something other than a condom that can prevent HIV infection. Use the two together and you could almost swim in HIV body fluids and still be safe (ok maybe not really, but it was a thought). So if you are sexually active, even if you are married, and negative. Why are you not on this drug? Side effects, contraindications I hear you say. Better than getting HIV( Although it’s now highly treatable ), stop the pill if your body can’t handle it. Mild gastro, and maybe kidney problems.<br />
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But what is this fear about taking a pill to halt HIV. Moral decay? Bare backing, flesh on flesh in the streets, the fall of society? This idealistic way of holding onto something that allows one to hate without consequences?<br />
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Sex, just like death, happens. Sometimes its messy, sometimes you trip and slip and fall down the steps and in a tangle and land up in someone’s arms. It’s not going away, it’s not going to disappear because you don’t have it, and it’s there. It’s happening. <br />
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Sex happens, and if it’s happening to you, you should be taking this pill. <br />
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Where once I would not even want to meet, let alone date or sleep with someone who was openly HIV, now it doesn’t matter. My eyes are open. What matters is the person, not the virus. Imagine if someone would not even want to talk to you because your blood type. That’s what many gay people are like. Just the mention of the word and they are gone.<br />
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I remember laying there in Mr O’s arms, the room smelling of sex and sweat. The soft light of dawn peeking through the windows and the sounds of chirping birds welcoming a new day. Mr O’s breath was hot on my neck and I could feel the scratch of his chest hair on my back, he involuntary squeezed me , breathing in and sighed. A lazy thought floated across my mind like a soft cloud, could this be it? I won’t say the word in case I jinx things, but that moment seemed to stretch like an elastic band.<br />
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Had taking a pill changed me so quickly and so much that I was now free to enjoy who I wanted? Am I truly free now to love who I want and how I want?<br /><br />Might he is the one that would make me want to be with one man? Maybe, and in that though I closed my eyes, breathed in the smell of his musky sweat and wrapped his rumbling breath around me like a blanket.<br />
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So take the fucking pill. Yes take it.</span></h2>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-34554190365873908132015-04-07T05:59:00.000-07:002015-04-07T09:29:21.500-07:00Dwayne in Atlanta - "Take control of your sexual health, and don’t be afraid to ask questions."<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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via Dwayne Hickman<br />
Atlanta, Georiga<br />
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This is Dwayne and I have been on PrEP almost a year and I would like to share my PrEP experience.<br />
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One of the main reasons I decided to go on PrEP was demographics; I am an African American gay male living in Metro Atlanta. Metro Atlanta has the third highest LGBT population in the country. We have a very diverse and cosmopolitan community. Also, Metro Atlanta has one of the most economically and political empowered African American communities in the country.<br />
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But both communities have a disproportionate amount of HIV infections, and the odds were stacked against me. In Metro Atlanta, over 60% of all African American gay/bisexual over 30 years old are HIV positive (according to Emory University) and Atlanta ranks Number one in all new HIV cases. Recent studies indicate half of those recently diagnosed have already progressed AIDS. I have seen close friends, a family member and a boyfriend succumb to the disease and I have feared HIV all of my adult life.<br />
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These numbers were very alarming and created a lot of anxiety, which caused a sense of fatalism. I have always placed boundaries on myself, but I started to go beyond my boundaries quite often.<br />
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Then I empowered myself; I decided that I was 100% responsible for my health and I re-educated myself about HIV and HIV prevention strategies. I went on a regular testing schedule. I was determined not to be a victim or just a statistic on a government chart.<br />
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Then I discovered PrEP from a couple of HIV Activist/Educators (<strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVljWQOFEL0">Aaron Laxton</a></strong> and <strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Uidy2rRZro">Walter Lee Hampton II</a></strong>) on You Tube and I wanted more information.<br />
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I went to a couple of AIDS/HIV Service Organization and was surprised and frustrated at the lack of information. In addition, I was also surprised about the lack of marketing by Gilead; the manufacturer of Truvada.<br />
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I called my Primary Care Physician and he never heard of PrEP. I kept running into stonewalls, this made me determined to find out more information; the internet was helpful, but I wanted more. I called Gilead and they sent me the forms for co-pay assistance and the necessary information. Then I called an Infectious Disease Specialist that specializes in the treatment of HIV and they were familiar with PrEP.<br />
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After the initial HIV test, I received the green light and started in the spring of last year.<br />
Today, I feel more empowered and no longer fear and worry HIV. I am surprised how many of my contemporaries have never heard of PrEP despite the extensive coverage in the LGBT press and the main stream press.<br />
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I am spreading the word, and I hope this information is helpful to anyone considering PrEP. Take control of your sexual health, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-38423117580765174282015-04-01T15:14:00.000-07:002015-04-01T15:14:01.425-07:00VIDEO - CROI 2015 Panel on The Hottest PrEP News out of the Conference<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My PrEP Experience's Jim Pickett (Director of Prevention Advocacy and Gay Men's Health at <b><a href="http://www.aidschicago.org/">AIDS Foundation of Chicago</a></b>), moderated a panel on PrEP at the recent <b><a href="http://www.croiconference.org/">CROI 2015 conference</a></b>.<br />
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Click below to watch the video and get caught up on the latest PrEP science.<br />
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Joining him were Mitchell Warren, Executive Director of AVAC, New York, NY; Jean-Michel Molina, Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Saint Louis Hospital, Paris, France; Myron Cohen, MD, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC; Jared Baeten, Department of Global Health, UW, Seattle, WA; and Simon Collins, HIV i-Base, London, England.<br />
<br />In this video, primary investigators discuss the PrEP PROUD study in the UK, the IPERGAY "on-demand" PrEP study (France, Canada), the Partners PrEP Demonstration Project (Kenya, Uganda), and the hope of long lasting injectable options for treatment and prevention.</div>
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The <b><a href="http://www.croiconference.org/">CROI 2015 website </a></b>has recordings of all the major scientific presentations from the conference - check it out to dive in deeper.<br /><br /></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-45834103629056614842015-03-30T08:28:00.001-07:002015-03-30T08:28:27.647-07:00"On Demand" PrEP for HIV Prevention? - Singapore's Dr. Tan Weighs In<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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[This is Dr. Tan's second contribution to the My PrEP Experience blog. <a href="http://myprepexperience.blogspot.com/2014/04/singapore-doc-i-remember-very-first.html" style="font-weight: bold;">Here is his first.</a> ]<br />
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via Dr. Tan<br />
Singapore<br />
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Over the years I have seen more and more patients come forward to enquire about PrEP for HIV prevention. It is very encouraging and heartening for a doctor to see this. This is evidence that there is more awareness and a greater willingness to protect oneself and whether intentionally or not, also protect public health and society at large. <br />
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Every person who goes on PrEP is one step closer to ending the HIV epidemic. At least that is the way I see it.<br />
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However, there is very little support for people living with HIV in Singapore and even less support for people who want to prevent themselves from getting HIV. Government or insurance aid for PrEP or PEP is unheard of. As a matter of fact, Truvada is not even officially indicated for HIV PrEP in Singapore.<br />
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So in this very challenging prescribing climate, one of the main barriers to patients taking PrEP is obviously the cost. Patients can be out of pocket $900 Singapore Dollars (US $660) for 30 tablets of Truvada! So unless you are zipping around in a Ferrari, which by the way costs north of 1 million Singapore dollars (US $733,000), it would be rather unlikely you can put aside almost a thousand dollars every month for PrEP.<br />
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So more and more patients I find are asking about and taking PrEP on an on demand basis rather than daily. <br />
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Let me first start by stating that this is NOT the way to take PrEP. The <b><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/guidelines/PrEPguidelines2014.pdf">Clinical Practice Guideline </a></b>published in 2014 on the use of Preexposure Prophylaxis For The Prevention Of HIV Infection In The United States clearly states “Do not use other than daily dosing (e.g., intermittent, episodic [pre/post sex only],”. <br />
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The same publication goes on to state “The time from initiation of daily oral doses of TDF/FTC to maximal protection against HIV infection is unknown.” And “data suggest that maximum intracellular concentrations of TFV-DP are reached in blood after approximately 20 days of daily oral dosing, in rectal tissue at approximately 7 days, and in cervicovaginal tissues at approximately 20 days.” Further suggesting that ad-hoc dosing theoretically does not provide the same level of protection or perhaps even no protection at all. <br />
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Be that as it may, we have to face up to the realities of real world medicine. The reality is on demand PrEP is a potential solution to the high costs of Truvada. Although early days, there are some studies coming out of Europe that seems to suggest that “on demand PrEP” works well in reducing the risk of contracting HIV. In fact, it was <b><a href="http://www.aidsmap.com/Pre-exposure-prophylaxis-also-stops-86-of-HIV-infections-in-Ipergay-study/page/2947854/">reported at the CROI 2015 conference that “on demand PrEP” reduced the risk of HIV infection 86% </a></b>among gay men in the Ipergay study. (The Ipergay protocol involved taking 4 doses for a sexual act - 2 doses before, one dose 24 hours later, and one more dose 24 hours after that - see diagram above.)<br />
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My patients take Truvada 3 days prior to the exposure, everyday during the exposure followed by another 5 days after the last exposure. This is slightly more conservative compared to the Ipergay study that asked the patients to take 2 Truvada pills from 1 day to 2 hours prior to sex then another pill 24 hours later and a forth pill 48 hours later. <br />
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Although I have yet to publish any data on this, I am happy to say that none of my patients currently taking on demand PrEP have been diagnosed with a HIV infection (I’m knocking on every piece of wood available). <br />
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We certainly need more and larger scale studies to establish the efficacy and safety of on demand PrEP and also delineate an official dosing regime. But for now, it seems to be working for my patients and saving them a chuck of cash. So if you are faced with the same cost challenger, you might also want to talk to your Doctor about on demand PrEP. <br />
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Dr Tan is a Doctor practicing HIV/STD medicine in Singapore. He can be contacted at <a href="http://www.drtanandpartners.com/"><b>www.drtanandpartners.com</b></a></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-80721512618169695742015-03-24T08:58:00.001-07:002015-03-24T09:01:17.790-07:00Chicago's CORE Center Gets Ready for PrEP - Clinic Opening Early April<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Below is a post from our sibling Facebook page - Project Ready, Set, PrEP! (Project RSP!). <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tjo9cPT7Suc/VRGIpzrMkrI/AAAAAAAAx74/jtF-uz2-078/s1600/20150320_095120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tjo9cPT7Suc/VRGIpzrMkrI/AAAAAAAAx74/jtF-uz2-078/s1600/20150320_095120.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a>We are very excited to announce that the <strong><a href="http://www.cookcountyhhs.org/locations/ruth-m-rothstein-core-center/">CORE Center in Chicago</a></strong> (2020 West Harrison Street, 312-572-4500) is launching a PrEP clinic in early April. Please click through to Facebook to check out for more pics from the training CORE staff participated in last week to get ready for PrEP. <br />
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Stay tuned for more clinic details on this blog, and on our <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ProjectRSP?ref=hl">Project RSP! Facebook page</a> </b>(so be sure to like us, if you haven't done so already.) <br />
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This is a very important advance in PrEP access in Chicago and will help many folks access PrEP and its associated services - please spread the word. <br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-15418517886899300822015-02-02T10:31:00.001-08:002015-02-02T10:31:43.837-08:00Michael - Out of pocket PrEP costs "well worth the added protection and peace of mind."<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>I wanted the extra layer of protection and the clinic was very supportive and cooperative about the process.</i></h2>
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via Michael<br />
Charlotte, North Carolina<br />
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I am a semi-retired 60 + gay male and part time CMT and CYT 200 Yoga Teacher and a first time PrEP Truvada user.<br />
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I am in a committed long term marriage to my husband of 17 years. He recently converted to HIV+ and after long and careful counseling with our agency here in the greater Charlotte area (actually Rock Hill, SC ) <b><a href="http://catawbacare.org/">Catawba Care</a></b> I became only their second patient to go on Truvada.<br />
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My husband takes Atripla every day and is undetectable but I wanted the extra layer of protection and the clinic was very supportive and cooperative about the process. I have Blue Cross Blue Shield thanks to the ACA and with the <b><a href="http://www.gileadcopay.com/">Gilead co-pay assistance program</a></b> my out of pocket costs are approx. $130.00 a month --- well worth the added protection and peace of mind.<br /><br />It has allowed my husband and I to return to a more secure sex life with the added protection Truvada brings. I have had NO negative health effects after 3 weeks and will continue to be regularly tested by our clinic.<br /><br />I hope this brief information will help anyone considering going on a PrEP routine.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-8381706228301032872015-01-27T07:56:00.002-08:002015-01-27T07:56:51.322-08:00PAN Foundation Expands Eligibility Criteria for HIV Treatment and Prevention Fund for People who Need Pre- or Post-Exposure Prophylaxis<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jRkeQtaKR_c/VMe0VoJeOAI/AAAAAAAAx4o/Rm6Y8r3gjUE/s1600/Logo-with-Tagline1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jRkeQtaKR_c/VMe0VoJeOAI/AAAAAAAAx4o/Rm6Y8r3gjUE/s1600/Logo-with-Tagline1.png" /></a><br /></div>
<strong><a href="http://www.panfoundation.org/news-article-list/359-pan-foundation-expands-eligibility-criteria-for-hiv-treatment-and-prevention-fund">Read more about this program here.</a></strong><br />
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This is an important source of support for insured people needing help paying for PEP or PrEP. Here is the basic criteria, followed by the weblink to apply for support><br /><br /></div>
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<b>Maximum Award Level - $4,000 per year. </b></h2>
<br />Patients may apply for a second grant during their eligibility period subject to availability of funding.<br /><br />Eligibility Criteria<br /><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Patient should be insured and insurance must cover the medication for which patient seeks assistance. </li>
<li>The patient needs to be HIV positive, or be HIV-uninfected and at high risk of acquiring HIV, or be HIV-uninfected and have been exposed to bodily fluids potentially containing HIV within the last 72 hours. </li>
<li>Patient must reside and receive treatment in the United States. </li>
<li>Patient’s income must fall below 500% of the Federal Poverty Level</li>
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<strong><a href="http://www.panfoundation.org/hiv-treatment-and-prevention">Click here to learn more</a></strong>, and apply for support. </div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-75929399261195370112015-01-23T03:02:00.000-08:002015-01-23T03:02:21.587-08:00Gay Couple Don't Take "No" for an Answer and Successfully Appeal Insurance Denial for PrEP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sPs1aZ1X3e4/VMIhy-By73I/AAAAAAAAx34/WeEQ5Obmsr0/s1600/brandon_shane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sPs1aZ1X3e4/VMIhy-By73I/AAAAAAAAx34/WeEQ5Obmsr0/s1600/brandon_shane.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><br />
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[Moral of the Story - Don't Take "No" for an Answer]</h2>
<br />by Brandon and Shane<br />Burlingame, California<br />
<br />My name is Brandon and my husband name is Shane. We are both negative and decided to go on Truvada as PrEP. <br />
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We went to our primary care physician, he talked to us about taking it, side effects, the tests we’d need to take prior to taking Truvada. We did a HIV test as well as a full STD screening, after which he wrote us a prescription for Truvada. We went to the pharmacy (Walgreens) and were told that we would need to get a pre-authorization from our insurance company (Catamaran, our prescription benefit company). I called my primary care physician who filled out the paperwork and sent it back to the insurance company. <br /><br /> After several weeks we heard back from our insurance company via a letter in the mail stating that we were denied "the Dr prescribing the Truvada must be an HIV specialist” (see below.) We appealed their decision, of course.<br />
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In deciding to start Truvada we had done a little bit of online research into taking the drug and we were prepared for the “pre-authorization” but were not prepared to be denied for lack of an “HIV specialist. We had previously used the My PrEP Experience blog as a resource, so we emailed them and Jim Pickett answered and offered us some quick advice including a link to the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/guidelines/PrEPguidelines2014.pdf"><strong>CDC Prep guideline document</strong></a> to help us with our appeal. <br /><br />We took that information along with data we found from the FDA <a href="http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm312210.htm"><strong>("</strong></a><a href="http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm312210.htm"><strong>FDA approves first drug for reducing the risk of sexually acquired HIV infection"</strong></a><a href="http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm312210.htm"><strong>)</strong></a> and the information pamphlet <strong><a href="http://prepfacts.org/assets/PrEP_Facts_16-pager_brochure_mech_FINAL.pdf">“PrEP Facts” from the San Francisco AIDS Foundation</a></strong>, as well as Catmaran’s own public list of “approved drugs” which Truvada was one. <br /><br />The text of our appeal letter to our insurance company is below.<br />
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Approximately 2 weeks later we received a call from Catamaran informing us that we had been approved for an initial period of 12 months.</h3>
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Cheers<br />
Brandon and Shane<br />
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<b><u>Appeal Letter to Catamaran Prescription Benefit </u> </b></blockquote>
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January 4, 2015<br />Catamaran<br />Attn: Catamaran Appeals Department<br />P.O. Box 371544<br />Las Vegas, NV 89134 </blockquote>
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Dear Catamaran Appeals Department </blockquote>
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I’m writing to lodge an official appeal to the denial of claim #: 0000, a prescription for Truvada Tab 200-300. </blockquote>
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I desire to take Truvada as a PrEP as I am currently an HIV negative actively sexual gay man, and I wish to stay that way. Obviously condoms should be used at every sexual encounter but as a human I make mistakes. PrEP would be there to help when I make that kind of mistake. </blockquote>
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According to the publicly available “2014 Catamaran National Formulary Reference Guide - List of covered drugs” Truvada is listed as a “PREFERRED Antiviral” with no additional proviso of “when it is prescribed by or in consultation with a HIV expert” as stated in the letter of denial. There is no current CDC, FDA, nor US Public Health Service requirement for Truvada as PrEP to be prescribed by an HIV expert, if this is a Catamaran specific policy, I urge you to please reconsider that policy. </blockquote>
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My PCP, Dr XXXX XXXXX, while not a HIV specialist, has been practicing medicine for 24 years. He is a highly respected and qualified Doctor. He has reviewed the recommended REMS program for Truvada as Prep as outlined by the FDA and Gilead with me. (<a href="http://www.truvadapreprems.com/#"><strong>http://www.truvadapreprems.com/#</strong></a><strong>)</strong> and the recommended pre-screening HIV and STD tests have been completed with negative results. </blockquote>
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As I am HIV negative and do not have AIDS/HIV+, I am not currently under the care of an “HIV expert” nor should I be. They should be dedicating their resources to their patients that need them. As I’ve referenced below the CDC, the FDA, and the US Public Health Service all state that Truvada as PrEP should be taken by sexually active adults at increased risk to HIV exposure… which I am. </blockquote>
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The FDA approved the use of Truvada as PrEP in July 2012 and stated that “As part of PrEP, HIV-uninfected individuals who are at high risk will take Truvada daily to lower their chances of becoming infected with HIV should they be exposed to the virus.”</blockquote>
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In the enclosed CDC document "PREEXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS FOR THE PREVENTION OF HIV INFECTION IN THE UNITED STATES - 2014” the CDC states “On the basis of these trial results and the FDA approval, the U.S. Public Health Service recommends that clinicians evaluate their male and female patients who are sexually active or who are injecting illicit drugs and consider offering PrEP as one prevention option to those whose sexual or injection behaviors and epidemiologic context place them at substantial risk of acquiring HIV infection.” </blockquote>
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Please give me the opportunity decrease my risk of exposure to HIV, help me do my small part in stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS. Reconsider my desire, my Doctor’s desire, and the FDA and CDC’s recommendation that people like me take Truvada as PrEP and approve my request/Dr prescription for Truvada. </blockquote>
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Sincerely yours,</blockquote>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-43335047091607741952015-01-13T13:30:00.001-08:002015-01-13T13:30:14.487-08:00Matthew in Columbus - "The peace of mind is tremendous."<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Now after a week I feel no different than before I started taking Truvada but the peace of mind is tremendous.</i></h3>
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<span style="color: black;"><br />via Matthew</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Columbus, Ohio</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">I just began taking Truvada as PrEP about a week ago so I thought I would share my experiences.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">I was visiting my doctor for an annual checkup and thought I would ask her then about a prescription for Truvada. <br /><br />My biggest motivation was that I'm presently seeing someone who is HIV+ and responding very well to therapy, but the risk of transmission is always an issue during intimacy especially for him. <br /><br />My secondary motivation is that when not in a relationship I have a pretty miserable track record of using condoms.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="color: black;">In preparation of talking to my doctor about Truvada PrEP I decided it would be wise to provide as much information as I could find in order to make our discussion more productive. My prescription insurance provider through my employer is Catamaran and I could find exactly nothing on their website regarding Truvada PrEP. After a lengthy session with Google I found a <strong><a href="https://www.azblue.com/~/media/azblue/files/pharmacy%20forms%20mastery%20directory/group/prior%20authorization%20guidelines/truvada%20rx%20policy.pdf">document</a></strong> that details Catamaran's coverage policy and a link to Gilead's Truvada PrEP website.<br /><br />I printed out the Catamaran document and everything on the Gilead site, read over it all, and put together a packet for my doctor. This proved to be critically important. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">At first mention of a prescription for Truvada my doctor told me that Truvada wasn't something she could prescribe to me because I was, as of my last test, HIV negative. Surprisingly, she wasn't aware that Truvada was even authorized for PrEP, despite having many HIV+ patients and being very familiar with HIV treatment. This tells me that the medical community needs better education of Truvada PrEP so that they can better work with patients who could benefit from it. <br /><br />I can only imagine that if my doctor, in a practice that specifically notes that they accept HIV patients in a large city with a huge gay population, wasn't aware of Truvada PrEP that awareness in the medical community at large is sorely lacking and high-risk patients are missing out.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">After a long talk and a pause while my doctor read over the materials I brought along, she agreed to consider a prescription after being sure that Truvada was appropriate for me. After a couple of days she notified me that my HIV test, taken the day of my visit as a pre-requisite for Truvada PrEP, was negative and that she had sent the prescription to my pharmacy. <br /><br />Of course, pre-authorization was required from Catamaran and that process took a few days. I am now approved for 12 months of Truvada PrEP with HIV blood tests every three months, along with a bone density scan and kidney/liver function tests as a result of rare, but serious, potential Truvada side effects. My particular prescription plan requires that I pay a $25 monthly co-pay, but I have signed up for <strong><a href="http://www.truvada.com/truvada-patient-assistance">Gilead's co-pay assistance program</a></strong> to cover even that nominal cost.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">All in all it was pretty easy. The hardest part was gathering the information to share with my doctor and educating her. <br /><br />I only experienced the very mildest of side effects - a tiny bit of dizziness - for the first two mornings after I took my pill. <br /><br />Now after a week I feel no different than before I started taking Truvada but the peace of mind is tremendous.</span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07167818136889363391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-59281054724953820852014-12-01T15:18:00.002-08:002014-12-01T15:18:44.820-08:00NEW RESOURCE - Learn About PrEP Coverage on the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lcBxG_ztYLM/VHz2fvdKdOI/AAAAAAAAx3Q/CeyXpRXZp3s/s1600/AR-709259742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lcBxG_ztYLM/VHz2fvdKdOI/AAAAAAAAx3Q/CeyXpRXZp3s/s1600/AR-709259742.jpg" /></a></div>
Check out this <strong><a href="http://www.aidschicago.org/resources/content/1/1/documents/afc-prep-marketplace-coverage.pdf">fantastic new resource - "PrEP Coverage on the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace</a></strong>" published by AIDS Foundation of Chicago - home to My PrEP Experience. <br /><br />The <strong><a href="http://www.aidschicago.org/resources/content/1/1/documents/afc-prep-marketplace-coverage.pdf">document</a></strong> summarizes the monthly out of pocket cost a person can expect to pay for Truvada under each of the plans on the Illinois health insurance marketplace. <br /><br />To learn more about the marketplace and health coverage, get started at <a href="http://www.getcoveredillinois.com/"><strong>www.GetCoveredIllinois.com</strong></a><strong>.</strong></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-36340885207072119322014-12-01T04:01:00.001-08:002014-12-01T04:01:36.814-08:00Chicago doctor: "I don't always use condoms. And I don't always top. I will not give this up." <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have a few young guys who need me, who engage me, and it feels so wonderful to be alive now.</h2>
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via Chicago doctor<br /><br />I am a 51 year old HIV negative gay infectious disease physician. <br /><br />When I began having sex at 19, I bottomed bare from the start with a few guys. Then at 21 (in 1984), in one of my med school classes, the lecturer said that the development of an HIV test had allowed researchers to discover that for every one AIDS case in New York there were 100 infected. I suddenly realized that there were more than 3 cases in Michigan, and that the bathroom stall at Mason Hall was not a good idea any more. <br /><br />So I tried to marry a guy, as I was kind of like that anyways. That went 3 years. Then I got dumped. I tried Catholic celibacy for a year, then started going to bathhouses twice weekly to watch other guys fuck, but I was too frightened to do anything but oral. <br /><br />At work, I watched crop after crop of patients my age die. Shocking horrible deaths. Old college crushes one by one were memorialized, and then slowly forgotten I went to therapists to try to control my behavior. It worked well enough. <br /><br />I tried to marry a guy again at 30. At 34, I found him crying in the bedroom, having just got his HIV diagnosis that day. So, I learned we were not actually monogamous, and my escape-the-epidemic strategy had failed. But it hadn't. He had made me a top, and I was OK--negative despite the worst sore throat ever that week. I helped get him to an undetectable viral load, took him to my best friend colleague, who put him on crixivan, zidovudine and lamivudine. He is healthy, and with me, now for 21 years. <br /><br />Since I was 35, I have not used a condom when I fuck him, and he has never had a detectable viral load. I let him come in my mouth, because I want that. But we stopped having sex when I was 48. I don't know why. We love each other. He is my mate in life. He bakes me raisin bread, washes my clothes, lies beside me sleeping when I come back at midnight from hospital rounds. <br /><br />When I was 48, I saw the "monkey PrEP" data. I began taking Truvada then, on my own. I took a half pill every day. I did not tell my internist. She refers patients to me, and is like a second mother. I got labs for my cholesterol. I took leftover meds that had been returned, as there was always enough, because I take care of hundreds of HIV patients. <br /><br />I discovered the internet at 49, and Grindr at 50. I have more sex now than when I was 19. I have a few young guys who need me, who engage me, and it feels so wonderful to be alive now. I don't always use condoms. And I don't always top. I will not give this up. <br /><br />Each of these relationships (ok some of them are, at best, encounters) makes me feel something-- vital. I can't suppress these needs through work any more. I am now officially on PrEP. I am still negative. I so hope the miracle of 2012 (when the FDA approved Truvada as PrEP) will save me, just like the miracle of 1996 saved the last few of my college friends. <br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-64752015326174866832014-11-24T07:00:00.000-08:002014-11-24T07:00:00.764-08:00Pozilady - "Since knowing about PrEP, I have been able to help my son's father remain healthy"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
by Pozilady<br />
Washington, DC<br />
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I am in my mid 30's and have been diagnosed since I was 18. I've been undetectable for many years now. I've had quite a few relationships since my diagnosis. Some rejections as well due to my status, but my disclosure allowed me and those individuals to remain very close friends with an insurmountable amount of respect for one another. <br />
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Nevertheless, the delight of my story is I have birthed a son who is over a year old now and HIV negative. His father remains negative as well due to Truvada! (And prayer!!!) <br />
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Originally, we used Truvada for him as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) due to a failed condom, but as our relationship grew stronger we mutually decided to PLAN to have our miracle child. See, my "Inf. Disease" doctor would always encourage me to have a child, stating "you are healthy, what are you waiting for?" So, my partner and I talked it over with my OB/Gyn doctor and asked his advise on what to do in case of a mishap and/or when trying to conceive. They both led us to Truvada. <br />
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Since knowing about PrEP, I have been able to help my son's father remain healthy, it's is absolutely wonderful for many reasons. It decreases the burden of possible guilt should one become negative on a count of me. Also, if we decided not to stay together as a couple we both could move on with our lives, and not feel forced to stay together because of a status. <br />
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Disclosure is hard, but it is a MUST. Having knowledge of your status, regular doctors visits and labs, keeping up with your numbers, staying on your meds and finally educating your partner is empowering! <br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-29697551874283965202014-11-23T10:00:00.000-08:002014-11-23T10:00:00.882-08:00VIDEO: "Love somebody" - Dakota is back with a vid on his first PrEP day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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[Read Dakota's blog from yesterday - <strong><a href="http://alabama%20firefighter,%20paramedic%20and%20%22pitcher%22%20goes%20on%20prep/">Alabama firefighter, paramedic and "pitcher" goes on PrEP</a></strong>.]<br />
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In the video, Dakota talks about all kinds of stuff regarding this first day on PrEP. Including having a rather "invasive" checkup before hand - with swabs going in all kinds of orifices. He complains about awful PowerPoints used for patient education. (can we get an AMEN?) And he talks about how he has always made decisions that were appropriate to him and his life - not paying heed to the judgments of others. <br />
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Thanks for sharing Dakota! We look forward to following your journey ;)<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-1300152543803886582014-11-22T11:02:00.003-08:002014-11-22T11:13:56.906-08:00Alabama firefighter, paramedic and "pitcher" goes on PrEP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
by Dakota<br />
Birmingham, Alabama<br />
(with a shout out to the UAB 1917 clinic<br />
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I have often felt that I am missing the opportunity to have a full sex life and "catch" when the time is right. </h2>
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About 2 years ago I started hearing about PrEP. I only gave it passing interest. As a health care provider (I'm a firefighter and paramedic), I was educated on PeP and even had to go through a course following a needle stick. <br />
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But for some reason didn't look into PrEP very much.<br />
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Recently I began thinking about it and finally made an educational appointment to learn more. After about an hour and half with a health educator I found out that my insurance does cover it and it's really not even very expensive. I have my first clinic appointment in a few days to be tested for HIV and will go to a group education session and then see a provider to get my prescription.<br />
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I'm really looking forward to the security this will provide. Candidly I will admit that I do not use condoms. As a "pitcher" I've always considered it a safer practice but have often felt that I am missing the opportunity to have a full sex life and "catch" when the time is right. <br />
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My decisions about condoms are personal and appropriate to myself, I make no apologies for my decisions and I respect opposing decisions. PrEP makes it possible to still have a layer of protection without the layer of latex.<br />
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I'm also looking forward to being able to help spread education about PrEP. I hope that everyone can find a strategy that works best for them. <br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-31824295527635011352014-11-18T06:35:00.001-08:002014-11-18T06:35:09.551-08:00¿Que es PrEP? - Learn About PrEP in this Spanish PowerPoint<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tJuy_LjVKrQ/VGtT-kJ1o0I/AAAAAAAAx10/wfpB7Plcd74/s1600/queesprep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tJuy_LjVKrQ/VGtT-kJ1o0I/AAAAAAAAx10/wfpB7Plcd74/s1600/queesprep.jpg" height="153" width="200" /></a><strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://issuu.com/jimpickett/docs/que_es_prep_alexbarros_">Ques es PrEP - Profilaxis Pre-exposición</a></strong> - is a short PowerPoint in Spanish describing PrEP for the prevention of HIV. <br /><br />The smart and fabulous prevention advocate Alex Barros of Miami (pictured) created this excellent presentation. Please take advantage of this great resource.<br /><br />Alex can be reached at galexbarros at gmail dot com.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-64551770384043726032014-11-06T23:19:00.002-08:002014-11-06T23:19:27.346-08:00Physician with Poz Partner Chooses PrEP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
via Greg<br />
Chicago, IL<br />
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<em>And speaking of protection, even though I'm now on PrEP and my partner has an undetectable viral load, we still use condoms as recommended.</em></h2>
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I started taking Truvada for PrEP four weeks ago. <br /><br />My reason for wanting to take PrEP is pretty simple; my partner of five months is HIV-positive. It's uncharted territory for me; I've never been in a relationship with an HIV-positive man in the past. Out of respect for his privacy, I'm keeping this post anonymous. <br />
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Although I work in the health care field as a physician, I'm not an infectious diseases specialist, and surprisingly, I was totally unaware of PrEP until I started looking at HIV websites earlier this year, in an effort to better understand the side effects of the medication that my partner is taking (Atripla).<br /><br />After I mentioned PrEP to him, he admitted that he knew about of it, but that he didn't mention it to me because he had heard about all of the risks of untoward side effects. He was actually "amazed" that I would consider taking it, in view of some of the bad press it has received. I told him that I'd done a lot of reading about the pros and cons, and that I was comfortable with starting it. <br /><br />I had also inquired about Truvada for PrEP with a friend/colleague in infectious diseases who does treat HIV patients, and it was endorsed without hesitation. I was told that I didn't need an infectious diseases consult to obtain a prescription, and that any physician could prescribe Truvada for PrEP.<br /><br />So, I went to my primary care physician (PCP) and told him what I wanted and why; I had downloaded the PrEP checklist and agreement form, and brought them to my appointment. I wasn't shocked, but I was a little disappointed that my PCP refused to write me a prescription for Truvada; he was not aware of PrEP (then again, neither was I), although he agreed that it was the right thing to do. He repeated my HIV test (which was negative) and requested that I see an infectious diseases specialist in his network, which delayed the process a couple of weeks while I waited for an appointment. Before I left the office, I handed my PCP a copy of the CDC Guidelines for Truvada as PrEP, which he appreciated.<br />
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I eventually saw the ID doc and was screened for hepatitis A/B/C (all negative), then prescribed Truvada for PrEP. I had been vaccinated against Hep B as part of employment, but never had the Hep A vaccine, so that was also recommended. <br /><br />The only potential stumbling block left was insurance coverage. I wanted to take PrEP, but I couldn't pay ten thousand dollars a year for it, if my insurance carrier would not cover it. The drug was covered by my insurance (with a $30 copay each month), and I brought my bottle of blue pills home to start treatment. <br /><br />My ID doc recommended taking it at bedtime, but after a few nights of insomnia (totally uncharacteristic for me), I switched to taking it in the morning, which restored my normal sleep cycle. Aside from the sleep disturbance, I've not noted any other adverse effects so far, and I'll get my bloodwork checked again at the 3-month point. <br />
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I don't think there's anything unusual about my PrEP experience thus far, but I just wanted to share my story with the hope that more people will consider taking advantage of this extra layer of protection. And speaking of protection, even though I'm now on PrEP and my partner has an undetectable viral load, we still use condoms as recommended.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-7676925582010597022014-10-27T22:02:00.001-07:002014-10-27T22:02:55.471-07:00Helping people get PrEPared at USCA 2014 <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Health! Hope. Yes Gawd! Finally! </span></h2>
via<br />Alan McCord, <a href="http://www.projectinform.org/"><b>Project Inform</b></a><br />Matthew Rose, <a href="http://www.avac.org/pxroar"><b>PxROAR</b></a><br />Pedro Serrano, <a href="http://www.projectprepare.net/"><b>Project PrEPare</b></a><br />Jessica Terlikowski, <a href="http://www.aidschicago.org/"><b>AIDS Foundation of Chicago</b></a><br />Lisa Diane White, <a href="http://sisterlove.org/"><b>SisterLove</b></a><br />
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These are just a few of the overwhelmingly positive responses we received from folks when we asked them about PrEP at a booth hosted by Project Inform, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, SisterLove, AVAC PxROAR, and Project PrEPare at this year’s U<a href="http://nmac.org/2014-u-s-conference-on-aids/"><b>nited States Conference on AIDS</b></a> (USCA). More than 1,000 service providers from all 50 states participated this year and we talked to a lot of them!<br /><br />Over the course of the conference we asked individuals to share their thoughts about PrEP. We asked what is the first thing that comes into your mind when you hear PrEP? What excites you about PrEP? What concerns you about PrEP?<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ERLvSaPAR1o/VE8hTRi3S_I/AAAAAAAAx00/aHPIFbeeDo4/s1600/10622868_10153241963056564_599056441553493003_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ERLvSaPAR1o/VE8hTRi3S_I/AAAAAAAAx00/aHPIFbeeDo4/s1600/10622868_10153241963056564_599056441553493003_n.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a>Each of us at the table talks about PrEP on a regular basis. We were ready to dispel myths, explain the science behind the clinical trials, and help people gain a deeper understanding of this powerful new prevention option. <br /><br />We were blown away by the level of knowledge that folks came to the table with. They knew about PrEP. They understood how it worked. Some came from agencies that have already integrated PrEP education into their standard prevention risk reduction messaging. Others represented agencies that were exploring the possibility of setting up a PrEP clinic. Many raised practical questions about how, would, and could it work in their communities. <br /><br />We learned that many clinics in smaller cities or in more suburban or rural areas have begun the <br /><br />These developments contrast quite dramatically from what 2013 USCA participants said about PrEP. Most stated last year that very few providers in their localities were even discussing PrEP as a viable option. Instead what we heard this year is a clamoring for resources, tools, and support for program staff to ensure they have the necessary skills and knowledge to serve their communities. Many remarked that they simply don’t have the resources to train their staff. And we rarely heard anyone comparing, contrasting, or challenging condom use over PrEP use, or vice versa.<br /><br />We anticipated more resistance than we encountered. Instead, folks raised practical, earnest, and <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mJ8nBjMHNnE/VE8hTlKrhBI/AAAAAAAAx04/lwCIs7_EWIQ/s1600/1653729_706381976098277_6071405059320980736_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mJ8nBjMHNnE/VE8hTlKrhBI/AAAAAAAAx04/lwCIs7_EWIQ/s1600/1653729_706381976098277_6071405059320980736_n.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a>important questions. How will my community make decisions about allocating resources to PrEP when the prevention pie is already so lean? What steps are being taken to ensure transgender people are a part of decisions being made about PrEP programs? <br /><br />What can we do about access in the South where Medicaid had not been expanded? How can we ensure people who are undocumented can access PrEP when they are ineligible for health care through the Affordable Care Act? In response to these questions, we shared that Gilead has a patient assistance program that is open to people who are not documented citizens, but can provide evidence of their US residence with utility bills or a library card. <br /><br />Others shared what the new tool meant for them personally:<br /><br />• 12:00pm every day.<br /><br />• More protection for my guy.<br /><br />• PLHIV in sero-different partnerships further empowered to have families they want.<br /><br />• Magnetic couples (heart)<br /><br />All of this isn’t to say that every USCAer was fully supportive of PrEP in this early adopter phase of rollout. We did hear from a few people who are uncomfortable with being on the front end of a new intervention, fearing missteps along the way. Some urged that we slow the PrEP train down until more data are known about adherence and side effects in the real world. Others expressed concerns that people will not take it correctly; they will stop condom use or not use them as much; and that we will see a rise in STIs. Yet for the most part these individuals were willing to engage, listen and ask for more information. We also heard from few people who decided that PrEP was not for them due to concerns about their own individual adherence or reluctance to take pills. <br /><br />In short, the dialogue was honest and open and respectful. Such characteristics are critical to successful implementation of this new intervention. The PrEP tide is turning. People aren’t just lukewarm about PrEP anymore. They are saying with greater frequency, “of course I know” or “of course I’ve heard”. The tide is turning. People are moving past “what are you talking about?” to another level of “let’s figure out how to make this work.” There are robust discussions happening all over the country as people begin to develop and figure out their communities’ response to PrEP. discussions around implementing PrEP services. We heard this from providers in Salt Lake City, Des Moines, Kansas City, Albany, Rochester, San Antonio, and eastern Alabama, and from the states of Michigan, Alaska and Hawaii.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-49410093445889831422014-10-15T15:59:00.000-07:002014-10-15T15:59:02.010-07:00That Was Easy! Tuan Shares His No Drama PrEP Experience<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<strong>via Tuan Nguyen<br />Harrisburg, Pennsylvania</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gfBCylAlOy0/VD77ho6-lnI/AAAAAAAAx0k/ARhznVZoEdo/s1600/Easy-Button-300x239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gfBCylAlOy0/VD77ho6-lnI/AAAAAAAAx0k/ARhznVZoEdo/s1600/Easy-Button-300x239.jpg" height="159" width="200" /></a>I just wanted to send a quick write-up of going after and obtaining a prescription for PrEP.<br /><br />My experience was actually simpler and easier than the ones of some other people whom I've read about on your blog. I made the decision in August 2014, and when I make up my mind, then I just do it. I printed out the recommendations under the <strong><a href="http://www.truvadapreprems.com/">Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy</a></strong> (REMS) for Truvada for PrEP, and took it to my primary care person, Allison. <br /><br /> <strong><span style="font-size: large;">I'm a scientist, and specifically chemist, by education and former careers, so I know enough to be dangerous (^_^).</span></strong><br /><br />Allison had not had prior experience with anyone requesting Truvada for PrEP, which didn't surprise me because I live in the middle of suburban straight-white-people-land. She's a fantastic certified nurse practitioner (CNP); knows my educational and career backgrounds, and medical history; and we have a great rapport. I carefully explained my reasons to her about why I wanted to start PrEP, and I'm pretty sure that the "I know enough to be dangerous" part helped quite a bit there. I was also confident, which goes back to when I make a decision, then I go for it. She was very supportive, and was more than willing to go ahead. I also let her know about the <strong><a href="http://www.truvadapreprems.com/">Gilead REMS site</a></strong> for medical care professionals.<br /><br />I had my bloodwork done, which came back HIV-negative and with the proper creatinine levels. Allison phoned the order into my preferred pharmacy, but there was some sort of miscommunication because someone at the pharmacy forgot to order the Truvada, which was annoying but mistakes happen so I understood. Then the mail order pharmacy only shipped thirty days of a ninety day supply, and pharmacies can only give out exactly what's written on the prescription, so I had to wait a few more days haha. When I picked up the prescription, the retail cost for ninety days was $4991.99, and the Aetna member cost was $3881.80; however, with my Aetna prescription insurance, it cost ninety dollars. I'm mentioning this to give you some insurance data and pricing data for your website.<br /><br />I'll also mention that I have scheduled in HIV testing every three months, and I also want additional routine bloodwork done to make sure that my kidneys are all right.<br /><br />It's interesting how I had a relatively easy time of getting onto PrEP, similar to <strong><a href="http://myprepexperience.blogspot.com/2014/08/anon-in-tampa-she-was-very-impressed.html">"Anon in Tampa",</a></strong> especially considering that I don't live anywhere close to a "large" city and/or influential medical university, and/or LGB area.<br /><br />P.S. I forgot to enroll in the <strong><a href="http://www.gileadcopay.com/">Gilead Co-Pay Coupon Card program</a></strong>, so I probably would have had my ninety dollar copay covered by Gilead. Ah well. I signed up, and I'll use it on my first refill (^_^).</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-87823049996101417802014-10-09T14:37:00.003-07:002014-10-09T14:39:39.189-07:00Todd in Palm Springs - "I am disappointed that people are not yelling from the rooftops about this medication!"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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by Todd<br />Palm Springs<br />
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I met the most wonderful man in January and he was hesitant to have sex. After about 3 weeks he told me he was positive. It didn’t affect my feelings for him and he was so used to rejection. Over the past 9 months I have fallen in love with this man.<br />
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I have a great doctor that is gay (I live in Palm Springs) and started hearing about Truvada. I started taking it about 7 months ago, no real side effects except for lip numbness which may have been a food allergy. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>I am disappointed that people are not yelling from the rooftops about this medication!</strong></span><br />
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He has been positive for 8 years and is “undetectable." Between PrEP and his undetectable status I feel we are safe. 10 years ago, someone with HIV would’ve been off the table for me to be honest. Judge as you will but I am sure many of you agree. <br />
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I work in healthcare and have my doctorate but remain scared like any other gay man. I came out in 1983, same years as AIDS. It has been present in my entire adult life. I have been in three 7-year relationships with negative partners and now venture off in singledom. I am in my mid 40’s and live in a town where 40% of the gay men are positive. My reality. <br />
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I tell anyone that will listen about Truvada but I want to always be respectful of my boyfriend's status. It really is nobody's business but at the same time I want to share our “Truvada” secret for their benefit. <br />
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Is anyone else in my shoes? Stuck between a rock and PrEP?<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-1367362718872857952014-09-30T09:23:00.001-07:002014-09-30T09:23:30.286-07:00[AUDIO] Magnetic Love and Making Healthy Babies - Carolina's story <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BzJUldC4XgY/VCXNQwJzhfI/AAAAAAAAxz4/SjnSj6sPzjE/s1600/090617A010.e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BzJUldC4XgY/VCXNQwJzhfI/AAAAAAAAxz4/SjnSj6sPzjE/s1600/090617A010.e.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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This interview was conducted in Spanish. The Spanish transcription follows the English translation below. Click <strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQx4DaN4EXc&feature=em-upload_owner">here</a></strong> for the audio link (in Spanish) and have a listen.</div>
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Folks interested in more English/Spanish PrEP and PrEPception information are invited to <strong><a href="http://hiv.ucsf.edu/care/perinatal/pro_men.html">visit the PRO Men page of the BAPAC website</a></strong>.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-16pxkY3rZjo/VCXNxcQKRaI/AAAAAAAAx0A/dxuBokvoieY/s1600/bapac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-16pxkY3rZjo/VCXNxcQKRaI/AAAAAAAAx0A/dxuBokvoieY/s1600/bapac.jpg" height="200" width="98" /></a><strong>Dr. Pollock:</strong> Hi, my name is Dr. Lealah Pollock. I am a family medicine physician in the Family Health Center at San Francisco General Hospital. Today, September 10th, 2014 we are at BAPAC’s offices at the San Francisco General Hospital with Carolina and her baby to talk about her experience using PrEP as part of her comprehensive care. At the San Francisco General Hospital we offer PrEP as part of primary care, comprehensive sexual health care. So, hello Carolina. How are you?<br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> Very well Dr. Pollock.<br />
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<strong>Dr. Pollock:</strong> So, to commence. How did you get in touch with the Family Health Center and with BAPAC?<br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> I was receiving care at the Castro Mission clinic and asked my physician that I wanted to have a baby. They gave me information about BAPAC and the San Francisco General Hospital. That is how I came here to the hospital to request information. Well, they call me to give me information about PrEP and referred me to the Blue Team (primary care clinic) at the San Francisco General Hospital and I met the staff that helped me, especially you Dr. Pollock, they gave me guidance and more information on how to get pregnant from an HIV positive person.<br />
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<strong>Dr. Pollock:</strong> Very well. And when you told your doctor. Was it the first time that you and your husband asked about getting pregnant?<br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> No. I had already asked my doctor at the clinic I used to go to, but they always told me that getting pregnant was impossible. It was here where I found the right answer. You helped me to have that answer.<br />
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<strong>Dr. Pollock:</strong> Had you looked for information before that?<br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> Yes. I looked for a lot of information and it was always impossible. They told me that the only way to get pregnant was insemination and that they had to “clean” my husband’s semen. But we did not want that. We wanted to get pregnant in a natural way. It was impossible. Thanks God that I was given the information here and here you have the results. <br />
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<strong>Dr. Pollock:</strong> Good! How did you decide to take PrEP? I remember the first time I met you; your husband’s viral load was still detectable. He did not have an undetectable viral load, and we took some time to talk about PrEP as a possibility. So. Why did you in the end decide to take PrEP<br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> I decided to take PrEP because the physicians in this hospital helped my husband’s viral load to become undetectable, so I felt more comfortable. Unfortunately, there are not many women that have the possibility to have all of the information about PrEP, but I feel that in this hospital you have the best physicians that provide the necessary information and that is why I made the decision and thanks God all worked out well. <br />
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<strong>Dr. Pollock:</strong> And thank you, but you were the one that had the strength of asking for information and make the decision of taking PrEP, and having a baby. And the baby is so beautiful…<br />
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<strong>Carolina</strong>: …healthy…<br />
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<strong>Dr. Pollock:</strong> Did you have any adverse events taking Truvada or PrEP?<br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> No, I did not have any adverse event. I think that women should use it as a method. We never know, many people do not want to ask, and yes, you can get pregnant and it is safe. I did not have anything and I am very happy and prepared to have another baby.<br />
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<strong>Dr. Pollock:</strong> Good, in the future. How was the experience with your husband and in your world that knew you were taking PrEP?<br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> Well, personally, my life is my life and I make my own decisions and nobody in my family except my husband’s mother, father and few brothers know that he has this disease. It is unnecessary that all of your family know about it if you do not want to. You can make your own decisions, who you share it with. And here, you know that this information is confidential.<br />
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<strong>Dr. Pollock:</strong> True. Did your husband support you to take PrEP?<br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> Yes, he supported me since both of us wanted to have a baby. We dreamed with having a baby…and there she is!<br />
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<strong>Dr. Pollock:</strong> Do you have any piece of advice for other women that are planning on taking PrEP or having a baby with an HIV positive partner?<br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> Yes, as far as they have health providers that are knowledgeable about it and that can provide them with the necessary information. My advice is that if you can make your own decisions and find a specialist like the ones I have here at the San Francisco General Hospital.<br />
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<strong>Dr. Pollock:</strong> Very well. Thank you to talk to us today and share your experience.<br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> Thank you for giving me this information and thanks to the General Hospital because we got what we wanted and without your support it might have not been possible to have this baby that we have today, six months old with adequate weight and healthy. <br />
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<strong>Click to the next page to read this interview in Spanish. Click <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQx4DaN4EXc&feature=em-upload_owner">here</a> to listen to it.</strong><br />
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<a name='more'></a><strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQx4DaN4EXc&feature=em-upload_owner">Audio.</a></strong><br />
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<strong>Dra. Pollock:</strong> Hola, me llamo Dra. Lealah Pollock. Soy una doctora de medicina familiar en el Centro de Salud Familiar en el Hospital de General de San Francisco. Estamos aquí el 10 de setiembre 2014 en la oficina de BAPAC en el Hospital General de San Francisco. Estoy aquí con Carolina y con su bebé para hablar de su experiencia tomando PrEP como parte de su cuidado anticon…, pre-conceptivo, hem, y aqui en el Hospital General de San Francisco ofrecemos PrEP y cuidados de salud reproductiva comprensiva [integral] como parte de cuidados primarios, parte de salud general. Entonces, hola Carolina ¿cómo estás? <br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> Muy bien, Dra. Pollock. <br />
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<strong>Dra. Pollock:</strong> Entonces, para empezar ¿cómo te conectaste con el Centro de Salud Familiar y con BAPAC?<br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> Yo estaba en tratamiento con mi clínica en Castro Mission y yo le comente a mi doctora que yo pues quería tener un bebé, y ellos me, ah, me dieron información sobre BAPAC en el Hospital General de San Francisco, y fue por eso que yo vine aquí a este hospital a pedir información. Bueno ellos me llamaron a mi para poder, para, para, para darme la información sobre la PrEP, y, este, fue, cuando ellos me mandaron a Blue Team (cuidados primarios) de San Francisco, general, del Hospital General y fue cuando conocí a este personal que me ayudaron a usted Dra. Pollock, en especial, y este, fueron los que me guiaron y me dieron más información sobre poder yo quedar embarazada con una persona de HIV positivo. <br />
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<strong>Dra. Pollock:</strong> Muy bien. ¿Y cuando le mencionaste a tu doctora, ahi, fue la primera vez que tú y tu esposo habían preguntado si pudieron quedarse embarazados?<br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> No, yo ya había preguntado en mi clínica anteriormente, pero, pues ellos me decían que era imposible, y fue aquí donde yo encontré, pues, la respuesta correcta, y ustedes fueron los que me ayudaron a tener esa respuesta.<br />
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<strong>Dra. Pollock:</strong> Y, entonces, habías buscado información anterior, anteriormente también.<br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> Sí, yo busqué mucha información y siempre fue imposible, ellos me decían que el único recurso podía ser la inseminación artificial, y que tenían que limpiar el semen de mi esposo, pero, pues, nosotros no lo queríamos así, nosotros queríamos algo, pues, natural y se nos hacía imposible todo, y gracias a Dios, aquí se nos dio suma información y esta el fruto de nosotros aquí. <br />
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<strong>Dra. Pollock:</strong> Muy bien! Y ¿Cómo llegaste a la decisión de tomar PrEP? Yo me acuerdo que cuando primer vez te conocí, tu esposo no tenia el virus indefectible en la sangre, todavía tenía virus que se pudiera detectar en la sangre, y tomamos un poco tiempo hablando de la posibilidad de PrEP, entonces ¿por qué al final decidiste tomar PrEP? <br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> Porque, ah, bueno, decidimos toma…, decidí yo pues, tomar PrEP porque aquí en este hospital le ayudaron al él a que su virus fuera indefectible, primeramente y yo me sentí más segura, y, este lamentablemente, hay mucha mujeres que no corren con la posibilidad de tener toda la información adecuada sobre la PrEP, pero, aquí están, yo siento que aquí en este hospital están los mejores doctores y que te pueden dar la información necesaria y es por eso que yo tomé ese procedimiento y gracias a Dios todo funcionó. <br />
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<strong>Dra. Pollock:</strong> Y gracias a ti, pero tú fuiste quien tuvo la fortaleza de pedir información y de tomar la decisión para tomar PrEP y para tener a un bebé, y un bebe tan linda…<br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> …saludable…<br />
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<strong>Dra. Pollock:</strong> Y ¿tuviste efectos secundarios de la Truvada, de la PrEP?<br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> No! No tuve ningún efecto secundario y yo, se los aseguro, y creo que hay muchas mujeres que lo deberían de usar como un método, pues nunca sabemos, muchas personas no queremos preguntar y sí, se puede, se puede quedar embarazado y no pasa nada. A mi no me pasó nada y estoy sumamente contenta y estoy preparada para poder tener otro bebé<br />
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<strong>Dra. Pollock:</strong> Qué bien! en el futuro. Y ¿cómo fue tu experiencia con tu esposo y alguien más en tu mundo, que supo que estabas tomando la PrEP?<br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> No. Pues, cada quien sabe, bueno, yo en lo personal, pues mi vida es mi vida y yo tomo mis propias decisiones, y pues nadie de mi familia, pues, solamente su mamá, su papá y unos hermanos saben que él tiene, este, esa enfermedad. No es necesario que lo sepa toda su familia si tu quieres, lo puede saber, sino, pues, tú, tú puedes tus propias decisiones, a quiénes decirles y aquí sabes que la información es confidencial <br />
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<strong>Dra. Pollock:</strong> Verdad, y ¿tu esposo te apoyó en tomar la PrEP?<br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> Sí, él me apoyó, pues los dos queríamos un bebé, siempre soñábamos con tener un bebé…y allí está!<br />
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<strong>Dra. Pollock:</strong> Y ¿tienes algunos consejos para otras mujeres que están considerando tomar la PrEP o están considerando tener a un bebé con una pareja con VIH? <br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> Sí, siempre y cuando tengan los proveedores específicos sobre lo que, el caso que ustedes tengan y de lo que estamos hablando, mientras ellos tengan unos proveedores que les puedan dar la información necesaria y adecuada, yo mi consejo es que sí se puede y pueden tomar sus propias decisiones y averiguar con especialistas como los que yo tengo aquí en San Francisco en el Hospital General.<br />
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<strong>Dra. Pollock:</strong> Muy bien. Bueno, gracias Carolina por hablar con nosotros hoy y por tener, y por compartir su experiencia con nosotros. <br />
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<strong>Carolina:</strong> Gracias a ustedes por proveerme esta información y gracias al Hospital General porque se logró lo que queríamos, y sin ustedes, quizás no hubiera sido posible tener este bebé que tenemos ahora con seis meses y con su peso adecuado, y saludable. <br />
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<strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQx4DaN4EXc&feature=em-upload_owner">Audio.</a></strong><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284395949369400258.post-59338991091318919132014-09-14T14:13:00.000-07:002014-09-14T14:13:01.814-07:00VIDEO: SF Gay-mer Jeremy on why he's on PrEP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">I don't think being on PrEP means I'm going to go out and fuck every single person in the world.... Maybe I will, maybe I won't. I don't know.</span></em></strong><br />
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via Jeremy, San Francisco<br /> [who sent us this lovely post and video a few weeks ago - thanks for sharing Jeremy!]<br />
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I posted this to a Facebook page dedicated to PrEP facts and experiences and thought I would share with your blog. <br />
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After journeying through ill-spoken insurance verbiage to get on PrEP (and after doing extensive research) I was finally able to cut through all of the wrong information to find out that PrEP would be covered and would not be as expensive as I was originally told. <br />
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I live in San Francisco but am originally from a small town in the Central Valley and when trying to discuss PrEP with folks there (in particular a cousin in a mixed status relationship) I have found it to be daunting and almost fruitless. I came to the realization that the folks I was discussing it with were, in essence, afraid of information and facts; throw too many numbers their way and they begin to get intimidated. <br />
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Admittedly, conversations about HIV and sexual wellness here in the city are far easier to have. So I thought I would document my PrEP journey as an every-man (which I am) during milestones. <br />
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Today I hit my 7th day on PrEP which for most is the day where Truvada is working at maximum efficacy. <br />
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So here's my video! -=O)<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/7M05je64qlg" width="560"></iframe>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">My PrEP Experience is part of Project Ready, Set, PrEP! - an initiative based at AIDS Foundation of Chicago to educate and create awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Project RSP! includes trainings and community "talk shows." </div>NewPrevTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05705781012925480028noreply@blogger.com0