Planned Parenthood Begins Offering PrEP And PEP At West Hollywood Location
A new Planned Parenthood location that opened in West Hollywood on Tuesday has begun offering HIV-preventative drugs including Truvada.
"We will be providing these services at our sites over time," said Sue Dunlap, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood L.A. "We’re going to start with PrEP and PEP here in West Hollywood, because we know it’s the place where there is the most need."
KPCC reports PP will offer Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) drug Truvada, a once daily pill that reduces the risk of contracting HIV to near zero when used with condoms, as well as a cocktail of anti-retroviral drugs used for Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) within three days of being exposed to the virus.
The West Hollywood location will be the first of Los Angeles' 20 Planned Parenthood locations to offer both drugs. According to Dunlap, all 20 locations will have both drugs available by the end of next year.
"PrEP is a game changer and it's really unfortunate it's not reaching as many people who could benefit from it," said Sonali Kulkarni, medical director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's Division of HIV and STD Programs. "We are in a place where we have a new tool to offer people who are at risk for HIV."
If you are interested in PrEP or PEP and cannot make it to Planned Parenthood West Hollywood, AIDS Project Los Angeles Health and Wellness offers Truvada at its South Los Angeles health center.
You can also use this handy cheat sheet to find a number of different Los Angeles clinics that offer PrEP and PEP near you.
