Entry Details

About the Entry

Category: 
All Content > Impact/Investigative > Northeast

Title of entry: 
'I'm another statistic. I feel let down': How HIV prevention stays out of reach for many

Issue or Publication date:
October 13, 2024

Publication name: 
Fierce Healthcare

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https://www.fiercehealthcare.com

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Entry URL(s), if applicable:
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https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/providers/how-prep-game-changing-hiv-prevention-drug-stays-out-reach-many-patients

Entry Essay: 
At Fierce Healthcare, our mission is to deliver essential news and in-depth analysis to healthcare professionals across the spectrum. Our audience includes industry executives, physicians, researchers and patients seeking insights into the latest developments shaping healthcare. From health systems to disruptors challenging the status quo, we examine the pressing issues that define the industry, offering up-to-the-minute news, exclusive interviews and long-form analyses that explore how changes ripple across this vital industry.

This in-depth investigative article, written in partnership with investigative media organization Uncloseted Media, sheds light on a pressing healthcare disparity: the stark inequities in access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a life-saving medication that reduces the risk of HIV transmission by 99%. Despite the drug’s availability and effectiveness, barriers such as systemic stigma, regional disparities and bureaucratic red tape continue to impede its use, particularly in the U.S. South. By amplifying the voices of those affected, the story provides a comprehensive examination of the factors perpetuating the HIV epidemic and advocates for systemic changes.

The investigation reveals the multifaceted challenges faced by at-risk populations. Individuals like Dorian McCuller and Sloan Parker recount their struggles with anti-LGBTQ+ stigma, inadequate sex education, and limited healthcare access, which ultimately led to their HIV diagnoses. The narrative underscores the disproportionate burden on Black, Latino, and LGBTQ+ individuals in rural areas, exacerbated by policies rooted in religious or political ideology. These barriers are compounded by healthcare provider bias, inadequate PrEP education and the lack of local prescribing physicians.

The article also uncovers systemic failures in ensuring compliance with the Affordable Care Act mandate for free PrEP coverage. Interviews with patients and advocates highlight insurers’ frequent denials, costly lab tests and prior authorization hurdles, which deter many from seeking preventive care. Exclusive data from labs and insurers further illustrate the widespread noncompliance with federal guidelines.

Impactful storytelling drives home the urgency for reform, such as expanding Medicaid, enforcing ACA compliance and increasing PrEP access through pharmacies and telemedicine. Grassroots solutions, like mobile PrEP clinics and community outreach in the South, offer hope, yet the article emphasizes the need for national policy changes to close existing gaps.

This article has catalyzed conversations among healthcare leaders, advocates and policymakers, highlighting the need for equity in HIV prevention. Its findings have been cited in discussions on state-level PrEP initiatives and national advocacy for a federal PrEP program. By connecting personal stories to systemic issues, this piece exemplifies investigative journalism’s role in driving change.