Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ legislation to allocate $100,000 to provide Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis services to high-risk populations in Atlanta was unanimously approved by City Council recently. The resolution—sponsored by Atlanta City Councilmember Antonio Brown—authorizes the city to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the Fulton County Board of Health to assist in the distribution of PrEP and associated counseling services, according to a press release.
“HIV and AIDS do not discern between gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation,” said Bottoms. “To effectively drive down Atlanta’s HIV/AIDS transmission rate, we must not only expand the scope of preventative services, but also expand the conversation. An open dialogue—especially within the African American community—will help reduce transmission and assist in early diagnosis and treatment.”
PrEP is a highly effective medication that prevents an individual who is HIV negative from contracting the HIV virus. PrEP has been proven to be over 96% effective at blocking the sexual transmission of HIV.
Since taking office Mayor Bottoms has held several free HIV testing events at Atlanta City Hall. The City also gave a $10,000 grant to Above the Status Quo to retrofit their mobile HIV testing unit. ASQ is a local non-profit that provides services for high-risk youth on Atlanta’s Westside.
Information: atlantaga.gov
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