Florida Department of Health to Offer Free PrEP to All Residents

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Following a mandate from Florida’s surgeon general, the state will offer free Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) to all residents by the end of 2018, reports Bil Browning for LGBTQ Nation.

According to Planed Parenthood’s website, PrEP “contains two antiretroviral medicines that interfere with HIV’s ability to grow and take hold in the body once one is exposed to the virus. When taken daily, the risk of contracting HIV can be reduced by more than 90 percent.”

The website stresses that people of any gender or sexuality can contract HIV, though certain people may be at greater risk; it is recommended that these individuals take PrEP. A person may be at greater risk if they do not always wear a condom, have sex with multiple people, have sex with someone of unknown HIV status, or use or share needles to inject drugs or medication.

Mara Gambineri, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Health, stated, “Ensuring PrEP to those at highest risk for HIV infection, regardless of their ability to pay, is one of the four key components of the agency’s plan to eliminate HIV transmission and reduce HIV-related deaths.”

Florida residents can go to the Florida Department of Health website to find out where they can get PrEP, which also goes by the brand name Truvada.

Read the LGBTQ Nation article here. Read more about PrEP, HIV, and whether you may be at risk on the Planned Parenthood website here.