LS Episode 561 | The Truth About PrEP & HIV Prevention

What do you really know about PrEP?

Angela Yee, Akeem Woods and Jordan Emanuel have an honest conversation about PrEP, HIV prevention, sexual health, and why everyone—not just one community—should know about the resources available to protect themselves.

They discuss common misconceptions surrounding PrEP, why routine testing is important, taking control of your sexual health, and the peace of mind that comes with making informed decisions. The conversation also highlights why HIV prevention matters for everyone who is sexually active and encourages viewers to stay informed and proactive about their health.

This episode of Lip Service is sponsored by Care for the Culture by Gilead Sciences.

Learn more, talk to your healthcare provider, and remember that taking care of your health starts with having the conversation.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
What's up. It's lip service. I'm Angela yee A keen
Woods shortening Manuel.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Yes, And today we're gonna have a really great conversation
about PREP.

Speaker 1 (00:15):
I know, I can't you. I know. I was like,
because you actually are on PREP.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah, of course, And we had a whole conversation before
the show started about it.

Speaker 1 (00:24):
So what made you decide to get.

Speaker 3 (00:25):
On PREP because I'm gay in the mouthside in the streets.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
No, but.

Speaker 3 (00:31):
I mean, if you guys want that as a little jingle,
that'd be great, you know, but because it's like, it's safe,
it's it prevents uh, trans contracting HIV. And sometimes condoms
don't always work, Condoms break, you don't have them, people
don't want to like, you know, there's so many other things.

Speaker 1 (00:47):
You don't use them.

Speaker 3 (00:48):
I don't don't spread their myth.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
I'm not gonna say whether it's true or not. But
you still want to be responsible.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
And I think because there is a myth that PREP
is for gay men, yep, and that's not necessarily true.
That is actually something that we should be using as well.

Speaker 3 (01:07):
Yes, yes, because unfortunately there's a lot of doment out here, don't.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
See when now you're really perpetuating that myth. But anybody
can actually want to make sure that they take control
of their health and safety. And when I was in college,
I'll never forget this. This is so traumatizing for me.
When I was a freshman in college, I did not
know a lot about the different STDs that are out there.
And my boyfriend from high school called me and accused

(01:35):
me of giving him an STD.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
Is that crazy?

Speaker 2 (01:38):
So when I tell you it was he said he
had chlamydia. So my best friend shout out to you, Santi.
I was in her room and I was crying, and
I was like, I have chlamydia. Like I called the
health center and I was like, I need to come
in into an emergency.

Speaker 1 (01:55):
I have chlamydia. And they saw me.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
They said that's not an agency, but coming tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
And we'll test you. And guess what, you didn't have it.
You have it. So he got it.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
Had it, yes, but I didn't. And you know that
was enough for me to break up with him. But
it also made me really feel like I have to
take more control of what goes on with me, right,
you know what I mean? And so yeah, and protecting
myself and so really that's what prep is all about
making sure that you prevent and can do whatever you
can to not get an STD right right.

Speaker 1 (02:31):
I feel like another misconception, at least that I had,
was that it was for STDs in general. But it
is just frustration. Yes it is, but you should use condoms.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
Yes you still use condoms.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
They'll be safe.

Speaker 2 (02:45):
But I think taking every precaution so that you know
you don't get a call like I did exactly from
somebody who's like, oh, I have this and you gave
it to me.

Speaker 3 (02:53):
Because and it's super simple. You take it in the morning,
or you take it in that you take it one today.
I take it as soon as I wake up, because
I'm I could I forget that. I take up for
it sometimes, but you wake up, you take it, and
that's it, and that's it for the day.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
You don't have to.

Speaker 3 (03:08):
You can take it with food, but you don't say
you don't have to, and you just go about the
rest of your day.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
And well, what I love is that you always bring
me a muffin when I see you, so I can
say that and.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
Then have my muffin or have my muffin then take
your morning routine.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
But I do think it is really important to have
these conversations and know what's available when it comes to
preventing HIV, because there is nothing that feels better than
knowing that, Like, Okay, you know, I feel like I've
done everything I could to protect myself.

Speaker 1 (03:36):
A lot of times we're doing things.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
Listen, I know people who have literally, like I remember
my one of my friends told me he had unprotected
sex and at the end of it, he was sitting
on the edge of the bed like Maden, So you.

Speaker 1 (03:51):
Know what I mean.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
But honestly, like real, it's a real thing, and letting
people know to be responsible because it's you and there's
no turning at the hands of time when you didn't
do everything that you could.

Speaker 1 (04:02):
Absolutely and getting tested.

Speaker 3 (04:04):
Yeah, yest make sure you get tested. I get tested
every three months sometimes too because I'll be outside.

Speaker 2 (04:09):
But you know, nothing helps you more than the peace
of mind that you can get from taking PREP right,
you know. So these are conversations that are ongoing, but
I want to just.

Speaker 1 (04:18):
Reinforce a keem.

Speaker 2 (04:20):
You're on PREP, yes, but that doesn't mean that we
shouldn't be because honestly, like this is something that's affecting everybody.

Speaker 1 (04:27):
It's affecting black women.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
Yes, you know, he sexual homosexual, it doesn't even matter.
Sexually active, Yeah, anybody who is sexually active. And if
there's something that you can do, just think about. Like
before we have prep, you know how scary it was
to be like, oh what if this happens, and you
know this is something that's not preventable. It is right,
you know, so take into all of your life and

(04:51):
take into.

Speaker 1 (04:51):
Of your health and your body.

Speaker 3 (04:52):
You take it one today, one today, like a little vitamin.

Speaker 2 (04:55):
But I just, you know, love the fact that we
can have these conversations because that's what LIP services are
all about, you know. And this episode of the service
is sponsored by Care for the Culture by Gilliad Sciences.
And thank y'all so much for just providing that information
and base are open and honest, because these are real
conversations we need to have in our communities.

Speaker 3 (05:14):
I agree, take the prep guys. I know what came
with my gal and gals people