DC Wants Black Women To Use A Pill That Revolutionized HIV Prevention In Gay Men

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A daily pill that reduces the risk of contracting HIV has changed how gay men talk about the virus. Washington D.C. is now embarking on the nation's first campaign to enlighten black women about this preventive measure. They are second most likely group to contract the virus in the city which is still battling an AIDS epidemic.

Studies have shown that the daily use of the drug called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) by people who do not have HIV reduces the risk of infection by over 90 percent, so the district's authorities are embarking on this campaign to enlighten and convince women of color on the importance of PrEP and let them know that it is not just for gay men.

One in every six newly infected persons in D.C. is a black woman. Although new cases are declining, nearly 2 percent of residents in the nation's capital are still living with the virus, which is one of the highest rates in the United States.

Condoms are the most popular contraceptive method used to prevent the sexual transmission of the virus. But there are times when sexually active people either fail or forget to use them and most women indulge in sexual activities under the mistaken apprehension that the men are monogamous, public health experts noted.

According to reports, PrEP changes the dynamics of HIV prevention, and women can now protect themselves instead of relying on men to use condoms.

The drug which has been available since 2012, has been unknown to women of color and to counter that, the city is running an advertising campaign on Metro-buses aimed at black women with the tagline "Dominate your sex life," and also gives necessary information about the preventive pill.

"The campaign itself is really about empowering women to take control of their sexuality, control their health and know this is an option for them", LaQuandra Nesbitt, D.C. Health Department Director says. But like condoms, PrEP is not unlikely to fail, and HIV prevention counselors are encountering issues as some black women are still in doubt about the potency of the pill.

Most women equate using the drug with promiscuity, while others are still not sure whether they can commit to daily use, especially when dealing with poverty, mental illness or abusive relationships. Many African Americans do not trust public health campaigns targeted at their community because of past abuses such as the Tuskegee experiments conducted on hundreds of black men who had syphilis in Alabama, according to Washington Post.

Public health advocates compare the challenges of getting women to use the pill to the rise of birth control. Another challenge aside the high cost (more than $1,000 a month) is availability and access to the drug.

Although, Medicaid and other private insurers cover it, and the drug's manufacturer also offer a discount to people without insurance, users face co-pay fees for tests at the beginning of treatment and also follow-up visits to their doctors. District officials have noted that they are looking into ways to cover the costs, according to US pressfrom.

The campaign to get more black women to use PrEP is part of a larger effort to end the District's HIV epidemic and cut in half the number of new infections by 2020.

However, Vans that offer mobile HIV testing are also providing referrals to doctors who can prescribe the drug. The Washington AIDS Partnership in December donated more than $370,000 to three health organizations serving women to incorporate PrEP into their routines.

The MAC AIDS Fund has also donated $1 million to fund the city's PrEP for Her campaign and is closely following the work.