ORLANDO, Fla. – Today on Breakfast With Bridgett, a digital health expert stopped in to talk about the high rates of women infected with HIV in the U.S.
In fact, women make up one-fifth of new infections and more than half of the number are Black women.
Digital health expert Gabriella Palmeri from Healthvana says their platform is working to close healthcare gaps by improving access, reducing stigma, as well as educating and empowering those from underserved communities.
Beyond safe sex and frequent testing, Palmeri says people need better access to the prescription drug PrEP in the fight to lower infection rates.
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But the CDC says only 10% of women who could benefit from taking PrEP are getting the drug. Palmeri says awareness about your options and getting the conversation started with your provider is key.
“The CDC recommends routine testing even for folks who are or think they are in a monogamous relationship and that’s yearly. And obviously if the person were to get an sti and they were testing negative before, that’s a conversation for their partner. But prior sti rates are an indicator that someone may be more likely to acquire HIV. As a provider that’s a great time to intervene and possibly get that person on a preventative medication like PrEP,” Palmeri said.
For more information on where to find PrEP, click here.
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