Dec 21, 2021
December 21, 2021 (ROCHESTER, NY) – Trillium Health applauds the FDA approval of the first injectable treatment for HIV prevention medication. Pre-exposure prophylaxis, more commonly known as “PrEP”, significantly reduces the risk of getting HIV when taken as prescribed. After an initial round of injections, the medication will be given to patients every two months, rather than in a daily pill.
“This is an incredible step forward in the fight against HIV,” said Dr. William Valenti, Staff Physician, and Co-Founder of Trillium Health. “Many of our patients who are the most at-risk for HIV are also impacted by the social determinants of health; for example, they may be experiencing poverty or homelessness, which can have a significant impact on their adherence to a daily medication. This injectable medication will remove the burden on patients and become a major step forward in the fight to End the HIV Epidemic.”
While new HIV cases have generally declined nationwide in recent years, Monroe County saw an uptick in new cases in 2020. The CDC also recognized the need to increase the number of people on PrEP and recently revised its guidelines – the CDC is now recommending that health care providers discuss PrEP with all patients who are sexually active.
Trillium Health is the leading healthcare provider for HIV prevention and treatment in the Greater Rochester area. In addition to its clinic in downtown Rochester, Trillium Health has a dedicated HIV Prevention Team to help get patients started on PrEP. Trillium Health also operates the website ProtectWithPrEP.com where people can learn more and book an appointment. Appointments can also be scheduled by phone at 1-888-PREP-123.
Additional related Trillium Health services include:
- 24-Hour emergency access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). PEP is a pill for people who may have been exposed to HIV within the last 72 hours. PEP stops HIV exposure from becoming an HIV infection. Call 800-923-9394 any time to be connected to PEP.
- At-home HIV and STD testing kits are available free of charge and can be requested at org/testing
- The MOCHA Center offers free HIV and STD testing for LGBTQ+ people of color. Learn more at org/MOCHA
- Trillium Health works hard to make PrEP available at little to no cost. Through its sliding-fee discount program, Trillium Health ensures that finances are never a barrier to care.
Injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis, known as Apretude, will be available at Trillium Health in 2022.
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About Trillium Health
Trillium Health is a Community Health Center that provides extraordinary care for all, including LGBTQ+ health, ensuring equitable, judgement-free, and affordable care. We believe that everyone who walks through our doors deserves high quality, affordable healthcare, regardless of income, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, or ethnicity. For more information, please visit www.trilliumhealth.org