STATEWIDE HIV-PREVENTION CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES IN SHELBY COUNTY
Get PrEP TN To Inform Tennesseans About Innovative Medical Advances and Reduce Health Disparities in the South
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Sept. 27, 2017) – Get PrEP TN, a campaign to raise awareness of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), an HIV-prevention drug, has been launched in Shelby County by the Tennessee Department of Health and the Memphis Ryan White Part A Program in collaboration with Project PrIDE through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
PrEP is an FDA-approved HIV-prevention strategy for HIV-negative people. One pill taken once a day, PrEP blocks HIV from taking hold and spreading through the body. By taking PrEP before coming into contact with HIV, individuals can significantly reduce their chances of infection.
“The Get PrEP TN campaign is an incredible opportunity to help improve the lives and health outcomes for residents of Shelby County and throughout the state,” said Halenia Crews, a PrEP Navigator with the Partnership To End AIDS Status. “With PrEP, a person’s chances of contracting HIV dramatically decrease. This is a high-impact HIV-prevention approach that can significantly reduce new HIV infections and ultimately help us realize an end to AIDS.”
Studies have shown that PrEP is more than 90 percent effective when taken as prescribed.
The Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is home to some of the highest HIV rates in the country. The CDC reports that, at the end of 2014, the Mid-South ranked eighth in the country for the number of people living with diagnosed HIV infection. In 2015, HIV diagnoses were highest in the South, disproportionately affecting black males.
“If you’re HIV-negative, PrEP is a simple addition to your daily routine that can help you protect yourself without having to drastically change your lifestyle,” said Jessie Claudio, a PrEP Navigator with OutMemphis. “Anyone considering PrEP should contact a local Navigator.
“Our job is to help people determine if PrEP is right for them and help them navigate access to PrEP, which is available only by prescription. We can connect PrEP candidates to a nearby health care professional and assist with affordability of PrEP, even if someone doesn’t have insurance.”
In Shelby County, there are five Navigator organizations funded through Project PrIDE as part of the Get PrEP TN campaign: Friends for Life, Le Bonheur Community Health and Well-Being, OutMemphis, Partnership To End AIDS Status, and The Haven.
To learn more about PrEP and find a Navigator, visit GetPrepTN.com.
About Get PrEP TN
Get PrEP TN is a campaign to raise awareness about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), an FDA approved treatment for the prevention of HIV. PrEP is a powerful and innovative HIV prevention tool that can help more Tennessee residents live HIV-free. Get PrEP TN is funded by Project PrIDE through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with the Tennessee Department of Health and the Memphis Ryan White Part A Program.
This project supports the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) by improving program planning and implementation to:
• Reduce new HIV infections,
• Increase access to care and improve health outcomes for persons living with HIV, and
• Reduce HIV-related disparities and health inequities.
For more information about the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Project PrIDE, visit https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/research/demonstration/projectpride.html.
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Media Contacts:
Shelley Durfee
sdurfee@sdpublicrelations.com
901-230-5608
Viviana Bertorelli
VBertorelli@mpf.com
615-259-4000
