An openly gay state representative has
revealed that he's taking PrEP to reduce the risk of contracting HIV,
the virus that left untreated causes AIDS.
Pennsylvania Representative Brian Sims
is among a handful of elected officials to disclose that they are
participating in the treatment known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or
PrEP.
“Starting the day off smart,
proactive, and in control!” Sims wrote in a Facebook post. “How
about you? #PrEPSavesLIVES.”
Responding to criticism, Sims said that the stigma surrounding PrEP “literally kills us.”
“Think this is an invite to talk
about my sex life? It’s not,” he wrote. “Think it’s an invite
to shame me or anyone else? Grow up. ‘Stigma’ is the thing our
enemies want us to be stunted by. It literally kills us. It’s
stupid and we control our own fate. No shame in this game. Just
Pride.”
Sims also explained that he received
his prescription at a Planned Parenthood.