Take Control of your Health with PrEP
Midway Specialty Care Centers is an official PrEP site. This means we dispense and can prescribe PrEP at all of our pharmacies and clinic locations.
What is PrEP?
PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) is a daily pill that reduces the risk of HIV infection in people who are HIV negative. PrEP has become one of our most powerful tools in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Your doctor will be happy to help you figure out if PrEP is right for you, just ask! How effective is PrEP? Taken regularly, PrEP can decrease risk of HIV infection by 92-99%. PrEP is most effective when paired with other prevention tools.
Is PrEP right for me?
PrEP is for people who are HIV negative, but at high risk of contracting the virus. Most people who are at risk of getting HIV don’t know it. Certain groups are disproportionately affected by HIV, and often times they aren’t the ones who are benefiting from PrEP. About 1 in 5 of all new HIV diagnoses are made in youth aged 13-24. About 1 in 2 black men who have sex with men (MSM) and about 1 in 48 black women are likely to be diagnosed with HIV during their life. Although people of color are most burdened by HIV, 74% of those on PrEP are white while only 10% are black.
Can I afford it?
PrEP is covered by most insurance and may have no out-of-pocket cost to you.
If you have insurance: Drug companies have Copay Programs that you might qualify for. If so, it covers up to $4,800 per year for out-of-pocket costs.
If you do not have insurance: We can apply for drug assistance to see if you qualify for a no-cost prescription.
Ask your doctor about PrEP today.
From The Journal of American Medicine:
Preexposure Prophylaxis for the Prevention of HIV Infection: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.
Importance:
An estimated 1.1 million individuals in the United States are currently living with HIV, and more than 700 000 persons have died of AIDS since the first cases were reported in 1981. In 2017, there were 38 281 new diagnoses of HIV infection reported in the United States; 81% of these new diagnoses were among males and 19% were among females. Although treatable, HIV infection has no cure and has significant health consequences.
Objective:
To issue a new US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation on preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for the prevention of HIV infection.
Evidence Review:
The USPSTF reviewed the evidence on the benefits of PrEP for the prevention of HIV infection with PrEP and whether the benefits vary by risk group, population subgroup, or regimen or dosing strategy; the diagnostic accuracy of risk assessment tools to identify persons at high risk of HIV acquisition; the rates of adherence to PrEP in primary care settings; the association between adherence and effectiveness of PrEP; and the harms of PrEP when used for HIV prevention.
Findings:
The USPSTF found convincing evidence that PrEP is of substantial benefit in decreasing the risk of HIV infection in persons at high risk of HIV acquisition. The USPSTF also found convincing evidence that adherence to PrEP is highly associated with its efficacy in preventing the acquisition of HIV infection; thus, adherence to PrEP is central to realizing its benefit. The USPSTF found adequate evidence that PrEP is associated with small harms, including kidney and gastrointestinal adverse effects. The USPSTF concludes with high certainty that the magnitude of benefit of PrEP drug therapy to reduce the risk of acquisition of HIV infection in persons at high risk is substantial.
Conclusions and Recommendation:
The USPSTF recommends offering PrEP with effective antiretroviral therapy to persons at high risk of HIV acquisition. (A recommendation).