HIV Prevention

There are more than 5,900 people living with HIV in Oklahoma today, and that number is expected to rise if appropriate strategies for HIV prevention are not employed.

Dr. Jorge Mera, Infectious Diseases specialist with Cherokee Nation said, “Oklahoma is one of the one of the top seven states with the highest rates of new HIV cases.” “It is very important to know your HIV status in order to get the treatment needed,” Dr. Mera said. “If you do have HIV and are receiving treatment, you can live a normal life.”

Approximately 1.1 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV today. About 15 percent of them (1 in 7) are unaware they have the infection. Speaking with your partner(s), practicing safe sex by using protection and getting on proper HIV prevention medication, such as Truvada ® used for PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis can help lower those numbers and reduce the risk of HIV in Oklahoma.

For more information about PrEP, call 1-844-PREP-STI.