Two openly LGBTQ Bay State legislators recently testified for the expansion of access to the life-saving HIV-prevention PrEP treatment for young people in Massachusetts.
Senator Julian Cyr of Truro and Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis of Framingham, went on the record before the Joint Committee on Public Health to discuss the benefits of legislation aimed at enhancing “HIV prevention in Massachusetts, especially among young men who have sex with men and other members of the LGBTQ+ community,” as stated in a November 18 press release from the state’s General Court.
The release went on to explain that:
An Act relative to HIV prevention access for young adults (Senate Bill 1237 and House Bill 1954), would allow healthcare providers to prescribe Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), to minors without consent from a parent or guardian. PrEP has been proven up to 99 percent effective in preventing the spread of HIV, as long as the patient adheres to the medication schedule. Other states, such as Maryland and New York, have already passed comparable laws. Currently in Massachusetts, minors may seek treatment for HIV or a test for HIV infection on their own, but they must get parental consent to receive a prescription for PrEP, a once daily pill. As is commonly known, many adolescents do not feel comfortable sharing with their parents that they would like to take PrEP. This barrier prevents more minors from getting on PrEP and causes unnecessary and life-threatening HIV infections.
“I have seen in my own life how PrEP has been a game-changer in the fight against HIV. As someone who grew up in Provincetown in the 1980s and 1990s when we lost so many to HIV, it’s personal to me,” Cyr stated in the release. “It is past time for our Commonwealth to remove further barriers for access to PrEP.”
“PrEP is a vital tool in our fight against the HIV epidemic—but young people, who represent 15 percent of new HIV infections, do not always have access to this important, life-saving medication,” stated Lewis.
“Our Commonwealth’s laws allow young people to consent to HIV testing and HIV treatment, but does not allow that same young person to get a prescription from their doctor to prevent them from contracting HIV. It is time for Massachusetts to join the growing list of purple, red and blue states that gives youth access to this preventative care,” Lewis said.
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