I’ve always been anxious about taking an HIV test. If I slipped and either didn’t use a condom or had sex with somebody who I didn’t know their status, it would definitely frighten me. I think somewhere in the back of my head it was still, I’m not really at risk. I have to start being honest with myself. Really assessing what my risk is, not so much as behaviors, but because I’m a young, black, gay male. I need to take this extra like level of protection because I am at risk. That’s a hard phrase to say. The first time I heard about PrEP was when I got an STI screening. As far as how effective PrEP was, I was sold on it pretty shortly after I found out. It removes that anxiety. I can actually approach an intimate interaction and not have to worry about what my test results are going to be. Now I can embrace my sexuality, embrace my ability to be intimate with another person. It’s more about taking control of my health. I’m not running around trying to shove a blue pill down everybody’s throat. I always just tell people, look what being on PrEP can mean for you and decide what you want to do. For more information, go to prep.greaterthan.org.
“I can approach an intimate interaction and not have to worry. PrEP removes that anxiety.”
Let’s Talk About PrEP!
For those who do not have HIV, PrEP offers another powerful means of protection. When taken as prescribed, this daily pill is highly effective in protecting against HIV.
