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New York State is the First in the Nation to Declare PrEP Awareness Week New York State is the First in the Nation to Declare PrEP Awareness Week

By Shoshana Stahl

PrEP Awareness Week is October 20-26
© 2019 Shoshana Stahl

By Shoshana Stahl, SYRACUSE N.Y. (NCC News)– New York State is the first in the nation to declare October 20-26 as PrEP Awareness Week. This week highlights medication available to prevent HIV- pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP is a once daily pill that reduces the risk of contracting HIV by 99%.

Governor Cuomo’s “Ending the Epidemic” initiative is on track to end the AIDS epidemic by the end of 2020.

The state allocates $20 million annually to fund the initiative but PrEP awareness week allocates an additional $175,000.

Governor Cuomo is requiring health insurance plans to cover PrEP without co-pays to make it more affordable for New Yorkers.

HIV testing has increased this year and the number of new diagnoses has dropped by eleven percent since 2018. The state’s goal is to get new diagnoses to decrease from the over 2400 this year to under 750 next year. This plan will make HIV a controllable infectious disease.

ACR Health in Syracuse has a clinic where people can get tested for HIV and have access to PrEP. Community members can learn more or make an appointment at 315-475-2430.

(Shoshana Stahl)

NEW YORK STATE IS THE FIRST IN THE NATION TO DECLARE THIS WEEK PREP AWARENESS WEEK.

THIS WEEK HIGHLIGHTS MEDICATION AVAILABLE TO PREVENT H-I-V AND PROVIDES AN ADDITIONAL 175-THOUSAND-DOLLARS IN FUNDING.

PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS OR PREP IS A ONCE DAILY PILL THAT REDUCES RISK OF CONTRACTING H-I-V BY 99 PERCENT.

GOVERNOR CUOMO IS REQUIRING HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS TO COVER PREP WITHOUT CO-PAYS TO MAKE IT MORE AFFORDABLE FOR NEW YORKERS.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF A-C-R HEALTH WIL MURTAUGH SAYS OUTREACH FOR AGES FIFTEEN TO 24 IS KEY.

(Wil Murtaugh)
“We have found that youth are the hardest to reach really because of the inability of their unstable lives if they are HIV positive to take the medicine. It is a challenge for them.”

(Shoshana Stahl)

H-I-V TESTING HAS INCREASED THIS YEAR BUT THE NUMBER OF NEW DIAGNOSES HAS DROPPED BY ELEVEN PERCENT SINCE 20-18.

THE STATE IS PLANNING TO GET NEW DIAGNOSES DOWN FROM THE OVER 24-HUNDRED THIS YEAR TO UNDER 750 NEXT YEAR TO MAKE IT A CONTROLLABLE INFECTIOUS DISEASE.

SETH THOMPSON IS ON PREP BECAUSE HE WANTS TO LOWER HIS RISK OF CONTRACTING THE DISEASE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

(Seth Thompson)
“I decided that taking PrEP would be the best option for me because it really does give me peace of mind that I’m doing everything that I can to protect myself, even when other people aren’t doing what they need to be doing to protect me.”

(Shoshana Stahl)

32-THOUSAND MEDICAID RECIPIENTS WERE ON PREP STATEWIDE BY THE END OF 20-18.

ONE OF GOVERNOR CUOMO’S PLANS IS TO INCREASE THAT NUMBER TO 65-THOUSAND BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR.

MURTAUGH SAYS THAT THE ACR HEALTH CLINIC IS GIVING ACCESS TESTING AND TREATMENT TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.

(Wil Murtaugh)
“We’re right in the 13204 zip code where poverty exists highly and we’re here to help.”

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