Media Contact:
Joe Hui
Director of Communications
jhui@aplahealth.org
213.201.1342
2.18.2021
February 18, 2021 – APLA Health has launched the PrEPexpress.org (PrEP Express) website to help increase the uptake of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) in Los Angeles County. The PrEP Express website was created to provide clear and direct messaging about PrEP/PEP in order to address mistrust and combat misleading medical information, answer concerns about cost and make it as easy as possible for individuals to enroll in care.
Key website features include:
Increasing the number of people who take advantage of and have access to PrEP, continues to be a major public health challenge. Despite its wide availability in LA County, fewer than a third of persons with an indication for PrEP report taking it. Our dedicated PrEP/PEP Navigation team members will directly assist visitors through proper steps required to receive free or affordable PrEP.
“Uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been especially low in communities that are disproportionately affected HIV. Black and Latinx people see higher rates of new HIV diagnosis each year but continue to face barriers to accessing PrEP and PEP,” said Craig E. Thompson, CEO of APLA Health. “APLA Health’s goal is to ensure that all Angelenos have access to effective medical HIV prevention tools. This website will allow us to lower barriers to care in an effort to achieve our shared goal of zero new HIV infections.”
View the website at PrEPexpress.org
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APLA Health (formerly AIDS Project Los Angeles) restores dignity and trust within underserved communities by providing world-class LGBTQ+ empowering healthcare, HIV specialty care, food, housing, and other essential support services. Since our founding in 1983, APLA Health has remained steadfast in our commitment to ending the HIV epidemic in our lifetime. We operate eight Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) locations in Los Angeles County, serving more than 19,000 people annually, regardless of ability to pay. Our list of comprehensive services includes LGBTQ+ primary care, dental care, behavioral healthcare, HIV specialty care, and Out Here Sexual Health services (PrEP, STD screening & treatment, DoxyPEP, and PEP). For people with HIV, our wraparound support services include housing assistance through the Alliance for Housing & Healing and nutritional support via the Vance North Necessities of Life Program, the largest food pantry in the United States for people with HIV, distributing over 800,000 meals annually. APLA Health’s annual fundraisers include AIDS Walk LA — the world's first and oldest AIDS Walk — and Best in Drag Show. We are leaders in advocating for policy and legislation at the local, state and Federal levels that positively impact the LGBTQ+ and HIV communities. For more information, visit aplahealth.org.
