MIAMI, Dec. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — As World AIDS Day recently highlighted, many advances have been made in the fight against AIDS, but there’s so much more to be done, especially within the Spanish speaking population. Recognizing this, MISTR has made its’ telemedicine (telePrEP) platform available in Spanish to better serve the Latinx community. MISTR has already made in-roads within the Latinx community, currently representing more Latinos than any other ethnicity in the state of California. However, MISTR wants to do more.
“In 2018, there were 37,968 new cases of AIDS in the US,” said Tristan Schukraft, founder of MISTR. “Of those, 27% were Latino/Hispanic, whereas Latinx people represent only 18% of the population.
MISTR’s telePrEP platform has eliminated many of the barriers to accessing and adhering to PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis). The site allows users to consult securely online with a licensed physician, complete the required lab work in the privacy of their homes utilizing MISTR’s’ at-home testing kits, and have their PrEP delivered at no cost each month. With mistr.com now available in Spanish and supported by Spanish speaking medical providers and customer support team, MISTR hopes to eliminate any further hesitation from those within the Latinx community seeking PrEP.
“MISTR is building bridges instead of roadblocks with PrEP access. We need innovation that is culturally appropriate and speaks directly to the target audience in a language they understand,” explains Marcus D. Benoit, PhD(c), MSW, the HIV Project Manager of the Harris Health System in Texas.
PrEP, pre-exposure prophylaxis, is a once a day pill regimen that is 99% effective at preventing HIV. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved PrEP for HIV prevention in 2012, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified 1.2 million Americans who would benefit from PrEP, 300,000 of those being Latino according to a 2015 study. However, adoption and adherence has been low among the Latinx community.
The MISTR telePrEP platform is available nationwide, and completely free in 26 states and Washington, DC. through local partnerships with various non-profit community-based organizations (CBOs) including Texas Health Action.
“At Texas Health Action, we are focused on removing barriers to sexual health services across the state, including language.” Megan Brunson, Chief Operating Officer of Texas Health Action, said. “Our partnership with MISTR helps us expand access to the care that every Texan deserves. Having MISTR available in Spanish will help us change the disproportionate impact of HIV on the Spanish speaking Latinx population in Texas.”
ABOUT MISTR
MISTR is a telemedicine (telePrEP) platform offering easy online access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) across the United States. In 26 states and D.C. MISTR’s services are 100% free through its’ local partnerships with various non-profit community based organizations (CBOs) No doctor’s office, no needles, no paperwork and free delivery. Visit mistr.com.
ABOUT TEXAS HEALTH ACTION
Texas Health Action is an Austin-based nonprofit organization that works to advance the community’s sexual wellness. Since 2015, Texas Health Action has worked to promote and provide sexual wellness, free of stigma and judgment, and has empowered the entire community through outreach and education and medical care through its Kind Clinic. Visit www.TexasHealthAction.org.
For more information about the MISTR and Texas Health Action Partnership, please contact Elizabeth Christian Public Relations at [email protected]
Se puede acceder en una versión en español por este comunicado de prensa a través de mistr.com/pr
For more information, contact Matt Smith at 747.999.6249, [email protected]. IMAGES: mistr.com/media
SOURCE MISTR
