Day 159: Renewal

Hey all, I hope this post finds everyone well. As I sit and write this there are several things I find weighing on me. Perhaps weighing on me is a bit too heavy of a term, but there are several things on my mind that I think this would be an appropriate forum to address them. First off, it seems to me that there seems to be a war waging all around about the use of Truvada as PrEP. However, I feel that the war is being waged in such a bizarre and unnecessary manner. It seems quite extraordinary to me that there is such a debate about the use of a medication that has potential to save and change lives. I don't think anyone speaking on behalf of PrEP is claiming Truvada as the perfect answer to HIV prevention, nor do I believe anyone out there is claiming that PrEP is the perfect choice for every single person who is HIV negative. There are a lot of factors that go into the decision and it is not one that can or should be made on a whim. Discussion with medical professionals is vital. But the point that all of us advocating for PrEP are trying to get at is, there are still new infections happening all over the world. We now have a new tool in the arsenal that can help prevent these new infections if it is used as intended. Even those who speak against PrEP acknowledge that fact. No, Truvada will not protect against other STIs. Yes, Truvada must be taken every day in order to be effective. But it still is an option to help in our effort to get to zero new HIV infections. I am just hard pressed to see the advantage behind trying to fight something that helps achieve that common goal. Financial interests seem to play in there somewhere. This is why I feel it continually important to share my experience and to raise the awareness in the world about PrEP, I cannot put a price on the peace of mind that being on Truvada has given me and I would not trade it for anything in the world. I want others to be aware of this option so they can see if it is right for them as well. Some people will decide PrEP is not for them, and that is absolutely fine as long as they continue to use other prevention alternatives. But I want it to be a choice that they can make for themselves, without the interference of outside voices telling them it is wrong to want to protect themselves in this manner. So I will continue to be a voice for the cause telling them to find the prevention method that works for them. Safe is safe regardless of the form it takes.

Ok, so off my soap box (at least for a moment). Another topic I wanted to touch on for just a moment was the fact I received an envelope from Gilead earlier this week. Inside I found the paperwork needed in order to renew my PrEP financial assistance. This actually made me smile. As you recall, I found myself jumping through many hoops in order to get everything in order the first go around with Gilead. It was a pleasant surprise that they are working with me, sending me paperwork that has already been mostly filled out in order to expedite my assistance renewal and to prevent the assistance from lapsing. Still a bit of work required to get the medication, but not as much as it could have been. So if any of you are out there in the same boat as I am, be aware that they are trying to help out, just stay on top of that paper work so you don't let that assistance run out.

I guess that's all I have right now. I appreciate all of you reading and as always, I welcome any feedback or questions you all might have. Also, as many of you have done before, please continue to share my journey with others as they try to make the decision about whether PrEP is for them. Thanks for your support of Let's Talk About PrEP!