PrEP4All Launches #PrEPSaves PrEP Users' Union

Since 2018, PrEP4All has led the charge for a federally-funded National PrEP Program, and as the movement has gotten more attention, including calls from the White House to Congress to fund such a program, it is more important now than ever to uplift the voices of PrEP users in key HIV policy discussions. That's why PrEP4All is expanding the groundwork laid with our Summer 2023 #PrEPSaves campaign to launch the #PrEPSaves PrEP Users' Union (P2U).

The #PrEPSaves PrEP Users' Union initiative's goals are to recruit racially and gender diverse individuals impacted by HIV in key jurisdictions, to facilitate the mobilization of current and former PrEP users in discussions with policymakers, media, and stakeholders, and to further define challenges and successes to PrEP access as identified by PrEP4All and our advocacy partners.

Michael Chancley, Communications and Mobilization Manager gathering signatures at USCHA 2022 in support of a National PrEP Program.

"As a PrEP user and HIV advocate, I believe it is important that we elevate the voices of those of us who have often encountered challenges to PrEP to inform HIV policy decisions," says Michael Chancley, Communications and Mobilization Manager, who will oversee the project. "PrEP4All's work has always centered the voices of people impacted by HIV, and now we get to bring more unique voices to the table at such a crucial time for HIV funding and policy."

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released preliminary data showing that 94% of white individuals who could benefit from PrEP have received a prescription, compared to only 13% of Black individuals and 24% of Hispanic/Latinx individuals. Because of this, the #PrEPSaves PrEP Users' Union plans to prioritize elevating the voices of marginalized groups that have largely not been able to benefit from PrEP, including Black and Latinx individuals and other people of color, cisgender women of color, and transgender and gender non-conforming individuals with lived PrEP experiences.

A key component of the #PrEPSaves PrEP Users' Union will be to collect stories of members for use in future campaigns and news media to influence policymakers, while also putting members directly in communication with key stakeholders to discuss HIV policy issues. Members will be able to attend a series of convenings virtually and in person in 2024 for further policy and advocacy education and mobilization. Potential members can join the #PrEPSaves PrEP Users' Union here.