Happy PrEP-Aversary!

Today is the Third Anniversary of the FDA's approval of Truvada for HIV prevention, otherwise known as PrEP.

Happy Birthday!

#yayPrEP!

#PrEPworks!

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.

PrEP is revolutionizing safer sex. And you are living in historical, exciting times.

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.

We - the collective we - are far from fulfilling the promise and potential of PrEP. And we will only get there -  collectively and collaboratively - through strong, sustained community mobilization, including YOU.

With that said, please share this post and visit us on Facebook - Project RSP - 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.

Be sure to check out all the informational links on this blog for everything from fact sheets to financial assistance resources to a Chicago-area PrEP provider listing.



Chicago's CORE Center Gets Ready for PrEP - Clinic Opening Early April

Below is a post from our sibling Facebook page - Project Ready, Set, PrEP! (Project RSP!).

We are very excited to announce that the CORE Center in Chicago (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.

Stay tuned for more clinic details on this blog, and on our Project RSP! Facebook page (so be sure to like us, if you haven't done so already.)

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.

Post by Project RSP.

Chicago doctor: "I don't always use condoms. And I don't always top. I will not give this up."

I have  a few young guys who need me, who engage me, and it feels so wonderful to be alive now.

via Chicago doctor

I am a 51 year old HIV negative gay infectious disease physician. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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. 

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. 

 

Episcopal Priest and CEO of Chicago House Shares His PrEP Experience

I’m not hip enough to tweet, and this is my first experience blogging, but I’m Stan J Sloan, an Episcopal Priest and the CEO of Chicago House, and this is my PrEP experience.

Chicago House was the first provider of AIDS Housing in the Midwest, and I am in my 14th year as CEO. I have heard about PrEP and PEP since they first surfaced, but somehow I didn’t begin my PrEP regimen until about nine months ago.

After the breakup of a five year relationship about two years ago, I have been single and dating. A process that is as charming as you can imagine it being for a 51 year old gay man.

Dating in 2014 is certainly different than it was when I came out as a 21 year old, and so I’m probably pretty normal in being as likely to meet someone decent at a coffee shop (although I don’t drink coffee) or at a black tie…as on an online site.

I figure that finding the right guy is a numbers game, and so I play the numbers until I find him.

I am a gay man who loves monogamy and wants that again in my life, but until then I date with all of the implications of dating. And so in that process it took me over a year post “FDA Approval” of PrEP to think through that, “condoms are great and always work…until that experience where they don’t.”

And when that occurred to me…and when I stopped to think of how lucky I was that I was still negative…and when I stopped to think how I wanted to move that “luck” to “certainty”…I called my doctor and asked about PrEP. And a week later I was on it, fully covered by my insurance.

I have had no side effects at all. And I am more relaxed about sex. And I no longer white knuckle getting my regular HIV tests done.

And I am helping my friends learn about PrEP, and I am working with the staff at Chicago House to see how we can help others learn about PrEP to keep them healthy.

So that is my PrEP experience at a personal level. HOWEVER, at a professional level I would add that the same judgments we received from the Religious Right when we started doing condom campaigns in the 80’s (“you can’t push condoms because you are condoning casual sex, and we should strive for monogamy”) has now resurfaced from WITHIN our community about PrEP (“you can’t encourage PrEP because you will be encouraging barebacking!”). It is maddening. It isn’t our job to dictate what other’s do in their bedrooms.

It is our job to keep people safe and healthy, and PrEP does just that. So what is the problem here?

In the 1980’s Larry Kramer and ACTUP armed us with, “Where’s Your Rage?” to get government, and pharmaceutical companies, and the general public to pay attention to AIDS. It is now 2014, and I would propose that arming ourselves with “When Is It Labeled A Scandal?” that gay men and Trans women have never heard of PrEP and are still seroconverting, and that it is still unaffordable to too many, and there is still only one option available from a pharmaceutical company?

When is it a scandal? I would say that now. It is a scandal now.

And that is the full sum of my first blog, and of My PrEP Experience :)

Now you have a good day!

[VIDEO] Ken Like Barbie on PrEP in 3 Minutes

TA DA

Chicago's lovable, award winning vlogger Ken Like Barbie tells you what you need to know about PrEP in this shot, sweet video clip. 

 

[VIDEO] Garland from Chicago on participating in PrEP research

In the video below, Garland from Chicago discusses his participation in the iPrEx Open Label Study and taking Truvada as a way to prevent HIV infection. The iPrEx trial was the first study to show that an antiretroviral drug (ARV) - normally used to treat people living with HIV - could also be used to prevent HIV among people who are HIV-negative.

In July of 2012, the FDA approved the ARV drug Truvada for the prevention of HIV.

Thanks to the iPrEx team, My PrEP Experience will be sharing a number of videos from iPrEx study participants over the coming days and weeks. Check back often, or like our partner Project RSP! on FB and follow along with all the new videos that way.

If YOU are taking Truvada as PrEP, we'd love to hear your story. You can share your experience in a video, or you can write something up. Whatever you want to do - we want to hear your experience - whether taking Truvada as PrEP was a good experience or a bad experience - or anywhere in between. Email myprepexperience@gmail.com and let us know!
 

[PICS] Raw Sex - Did It Just Get Safer?

Prince Magneto Ebony and Fatha Memphis Khan, and the  House/Ball community in Chicago, held a talk show/mini-ball on PrEP October 17.

Called "Raw Sex - Did It Just Get Safer?" - the talk show featured a researcher, an academic, and a young PrEP user who shared information about and personal experiences with Truvada as PrEP. The mini-ball featured two cash-prize categories, OTA Realness and OTA Performance.

Below  are some pics from the event. Check out the rest on our FB page.

More pics here.

 

Thanks to our collaborators - University of Chicago SSA, Care2Prevent, Project PrEPare, National Youth Pride Services, Project Ready, Set, PrEP!, My PrEP Experience, the CORE Center, and AIDS Foundation of Chicago.

 



Learning Lessons and Taking Action to Keep Myself Safe - Jermaine Brooks on PrEP

by Jermaine Brooks, via Positively Aware's recent "Let's Talk about PrEP" issue 

What would life be like if we didn’t make mistakes?

Many of us try to map out our lives in hopes that things will go according to plan. The truth is that no matter how hard we try, there will always be something that catches us by surprise. A surprise is what actually started my journey with PrEP.

It was 2009, I had just started college and was living on my own for the first time. So as not to get too personal, let’s just say that it was a time of “finding myself” and much sexual exploration. Things were going pretty well for me and, for the most part, I would say that I was growing into a responsible young man (especially compared to what some of my peers were doing). But no one is perfect, and occasional slip-ups with condoms led to an “STI scare” that completely changed everything for me.

I share everything with my uncle, Keith Green (well…almost everything). At the time, he was working on a study about PrEP at the county hospital. When I told him about my scare, he suggested that I consider taking part in the study.

"Just weighing the options can teach one how to relate to their body and treat it with respect."

Of course I had many questions about how this actually worked and if I would be in any danger if I did start taking the drug. My uncle told me what he knew about PrEP, all of the benefits and potential challenges, and suggested that I speak with the study nurses for more information. That led to even more questions!

Mildly apprehensive but very intrigued, I decided to enroll in the study and to continue to educate myself about PrEP in the process. When I first started, they were still testing the drug and some people were actually placed on a placebo. But I knew from the very beginning that I was actually receiving the real thing.

 Read the rest here.

[Chicago October 17] Raw Sex Just Got Safer?

The PrEP Experience Talk Show and Mini Ball 

Join hosts Prince Magneto Ebony and Father Memphis Khan, and expert guests, to talk about the pill that can actually prevent HIV (called PrEP). Ball categories (with cash prizes) include OTA Realness and OTA Performance.

Light refreshments and appetizers. And YOU.

Brought to you by National Youth Pride Services, Care2Prevent, and Project RSP!

CLICK  for more info and to RSVP.

WATCH: Famous Chicago vlogger Ken Like Barbie explains PrEP in this short video.

[VIDEO] Voices of Choice - Garland from Chicago Talks About Being in the iPrEx Open Label PrEP Trial

In the video below, Garland from Chicago discusses his participation in the iPrEx Open Label Study and taking Truvada as a way to prevent HIV infection. The iPrEx trial was the first study to show that an antiretroviral drug (ARV) - normally used to treat people living with HIV - could also be used to prevent HIV among people who are HIV-negative.

In July of 2012, the FDA approved the ARV drug Truvada for the prevention of HIV.

Thanks to the iPrEx team, My PrEP Experience will be sharing a number of videos from iPrEx study participants over the coming days and weeks. Check back often, or like our partner Project RSP! on FB and follow along with all the new videos that way.

If YOU are taking Truvada as PrEP, we'd love to hear your story. You can share your experience in a video, or you can write something up. Whatever you want to do - we want to hear your experience - whether taking Truvada as PrEP was a good experience or a bad experience - or anywhere in between. Email myprepexperience@gmail.com and let us know!

From Personal to Professional: Alan Johnson writes about his PrEP experience

 by Alan Johnson, MPH, excerpt from Positively Aware's recent "Let's Talk about PrEP" issue  

"I attribute my high adherence rate to knowing that PrEP will only work if you take it. I always carry a few doses with me and my iPhone alarm always reminds me to take my medication."

I first heard about PrEP at a community meeting a couple of years ago, after it was shown to be an effective prevention method in human studies. I decided to look into PrEP further when the FDA approved the prescription drug Truvada as prevention for those who are at high risk for acquiring HIV. In yet another community meeting soon after FDA approval, I learned that some insurance companies were planning to cover most of the cost for treatment. I also learned that patient assistance programs from the maker of the drug, Gilead Sciences, have been extended to those taking Truvada as PrEP. 

Though I have a background in public health (primarily sexual health research and direct prevention and care services), I found that the more I heard about PrEP, the more questions I had.

If I was interested in actually taking PrEP, how would I afford it?

Was I even truly at “high risk” for acquiring HIV?

Would I have adverse reactions to the meds?

How would I overcome my internalized fear and the stigma associated with actually reaching the pharmacy counter and receiving the prescription?

What if someone I know sees the Truvada label laying around my apartment and Googles it?

Would they think that I was HIV-positive?

Read the rest here. 

Project Ready, Set, PrEP!'s Training Slides on PrEP for HIV Prevention

Chicago's Project Ready, Set, PrEP! (Project RSP!) has uploaded a fresh training on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention. The training is designed for prevention workers, case managers, and others working in the HIV field and includes the key things you need to know about PrEP.

Check out the PowerPoint slides below, and feel free to download a copy. And please connect with us on Facebook. There are also a lot of helpful informational resources on the right-hand side of this blog just waiting to be clicked.

Project RSP! Training on PrEP for HIV Prevention 

 

PICS from the Community Talk Show "Can a Pill Revolutionize Sex for Gay and SGL Men of Color?"

On Wednesday, May 22, more than 60 folks joined Project RSP! (Ready, Set, PrEP!), My PrEP Experience, hosts David Dodd and Ken Like Barbie, entertainer ButtaFlySouL, Gustavo Varela and Sybil Hosek at Center on Halsted to discuss a revolutionary new way to protect ourselves from HIV called PrEP. Some pics from this community talk show below - more on the Project RSP! page on FB.

The Chicago Black Gay Men's Caucus, and others, Tweeted about the event.

Check out the right hand side of this blog for info and links to learn more about PrEP. Another community talk show on PrEP will be held later this year on the south side of Chicago. Watch this space!

The event was made possible through the collective efforts of the following organizations: Blackstone Avenue Marketing, Clubhouse Productions, Gilead Sciences, High Society Entertainment Group, John Stroger Hospital, K Dock Media, My PrEP Experience, National Youth Pride Services, PrideIndex.com, Rails Marketing Group, United Black Pride, and AIDS Foundation of Chicago.

 

"Sex is not the enemy, ignorance is" - ButtaFlySouL

Can a Pill Revolutionize Sex for Gay and SGL Men of Color?

ButtaFlySouL will be performing at a community talk show on sex, love, and PrEP at Chicago's Center on Halsted - Wednesday, May 22 - reception 6p, show starts 7p.

Popular vlogger Ken Like Barbie  and social guru David Dodd host. Free food. Special guests. Great conversation.

PLEASE JOIN US! All welcome - gay men of color and allies.

Learn more about the event.

Learn more about PrEP.

Just Adding PrEP to the Mix.... Join us May 22 at Center on Halsted

“We’re not throwing condoms out; we’re just adding PrEP to the mix.”
- David Dodd

The very charming duo of David and vlogger Ken Like Barbie are hosting a FREE community talk show - "Can  a Pill Revolutionize Sex for Gay and SGL Men of Color" - at Center on Halsted  in Chicago May 22, from 6p to 9p.

The amazing ButtaFlySouL is performing. Twice.

There will be food, fun, good conversation.

Hope to see you there.

Learn more.

[VIDEO] David Dodd and Ken Like Barbie Preview Their May 22 Community Talk Show on PrEP

The details:

Can a Pill Revolutionize Sex for Gay and SGL Men of Color?
Presented by Project RSP!
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Center on Halsted, 3656 North Halsted in Chicago – 3rd floor, Hoover-Leppen Theatre.

Social guru David Dodd and award winning vlogger Ken Like Barbie co-host this event, featuring Vocalist, Poet, Actor and Humorist ButtaFlySouL, star of ButtaFlySouL for President, PrEP researcher Dr. Sybil Hosek from John Stroger Hospital, and a young man of color who is using PrEP.

This event is an all-ages, free community talk show directed to young gay men of color and their allies. From 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. there will be a casual reception with appetizers from Hearty Boys. At 7:00 p.m. the doors to the theatre will open with a performance by ButtaFlySouL. David and Ken will then lead an interactive, lively, and fun discussion with the panelists and audience around sex, love, lust, and a new FDA-approved form of HIV protection called “PrEP” which involves taking a medication every day. ButtaFlySouL will close the program with a second special performance specially created for this event.

 

[VIDEO] Ken Like Barbie: The Frontier of HIV Prevention is Changing - A Video Fact Sheet on PrEP

Chicago's lovable, award winning vlogger Ken Like Barbie tells you what you need to know about PrEP in this video fact sheet. He is co-hosting a free community talk show with social guru David Dodd, featuring entertainer ButtaFlySouL, on Wednesday, May 22 at Center on Halsted.

Join him, and us :)

Community Talk Show in Chicago May 22 - Can a Pill Revolutionize Sex for Gay and SGL Men of Color?

Join your hosts – social guru David Dodd and award winning vlogger Ken Like Barbie – and special guests 4 an all-ages, interactive, FREE community talk show to discuss sex, love, lust, and relationships.

Learn about a fresh, safer-sex option for ourselves and our partners.

Featuring dynamic performances by Vocalist, Poet, Actor and Humorist ButtaFlySouL, star of ButtaFlySouL for President. Don’t miss his beautiful spirit!

Community. Sexy. Fun. Free. Healthy. Real.

Appetizers from the Hearty Boys! Raffles!

DETAILS:
Get Ready. Get Set. PrEP!
Date: Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Time: Reception with light appetizers begins 6:00 p.m., show begins 7:00 p.m.
Location: Center on Halsted
3656 North Halsted in Chicago
3rd floor, Hoover-Leppen Theatre.

This Project RSP! community forum has been brought to you through a collaboration between Blackstone Avenue Marketing, Clubhouse Productions, Gilead Sciences, High Society Entertainment Group, John Stroger Hospital, K Dock Media, My PrEP Experience, National Youth Pride Services, PrideIndex.com, Rails Marketing Group, United Black Pride, and AIDS Foundation of Chicago.