PrEP is Primary Care

Charlene Flash, MD, MPH is an infectious disease physician. She is President and CEO of Avenue 360 Health and Wellness and Assistant Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease at Baylor College of Medicine.

Ask Me Anything About PrEP: For Healthcare Providers is a video series that covers the basics of prescribing PrEP and having open conversations with patients about sexual health.

This video is a joint production of KFF’s GREATER THAN HIV and CDC’s LET’S STOP HIV TOGETHER. This information is shared for educational purposes and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. The views expressed are those of the featured medical professional and reflect information available to that professional at the time of filming. Always consult a healthcare provider for any personal health decisions.

The marks “CDC” and “Let’s Stop HIV Together” are owned by the US Dept. of Health and Human Services and are used with permission. Use of these logos is not an endorsement by HHS or CDC of any particular product, service, or enterprise.

TRANSCRIPT:

You know, there's this thing called the “purview paradox” where, when PrEP came onto the scene, the people most comfortable prescribing were all the HIV docs.

But, the people at risk for HIV aren't going to an HIV doc. They're going to primary care doctors.

When you're looking for prevention, the specialist who deals with prevention is actually the family practice provider.

When I talk to providers, I share that in many ways prescribing PrEP is so much easier than managing someone's diabetes or managing their hypertension.

This is your bag, right? This is prevention. In the same way that you prevent diabetes, the same way you prevent heart disease, you will work to prevent HIV.