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Effective but Underprescribed: HIV Prevention Meds Aren’t Reaching Enough People

Effective but Underprescribed: HIV Prevention Meds Aren’t Reaching Enough People

(Heidi de Marco/KFF Health News)

Listen: More than 2 million Americans could benefit from PrEP, but only about a quarter of them are getting the HIV prevention medication. On Feb. 4, during WAMU’s “Health Hub,” KFF Health News reporter Zach Dyer shared tips for overcoming common hurdles to care.

Billing mistakes. Stigma. Doctors who aren’t keeping up with the latest research. Those are just some of the hurdles that keep HIV prevention medication out of reach for many Americans.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates more than 2 million Americans could benefit from a treatment known as PrEP, but only a quarter of them are getting a form of the drug. Zach Dyer appeared on WAMU’s “Health Hub” on Feb. 4 to share tips patients can use to avoid those pitfalls and find a doctor who knows more about PrEP.

To Knock Down Health-System Hurdles Between You and HIV Prevention, Try These 6 Things

It’s been more than 10 years since the FDA first approved an HIV prevention drug. Today, people who could benefit from preexposure prophylaxis often struggle to access the lifesaving medicine or run into doctors without the education or empathy to offer affirming care. And those lapses can produce billing headaches.

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