by Timothy Ray Brown
Timothy Ray Brown was the first man cured of HIV. But he initially opted against the stem cell transplant that would later make history. photo: Positively Aware (PA)
When I first heard about the introduction of the use of Truvada for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) in 2012, I did not give it much thought. I had been cured of HIV in 2007, and had been told by my doctors that I am immune to the virus. Therefore, I did not think that PrEP was something I needed for myself. Since the whole reason for all of my work is to help the HIV-positive community and their loved ones by giving hope that HIV can be cured, I eventually decided that PrEP is an important tool in preventing new infections and this is an extremely large part of my mission. This article will explain why my mindset toward PrEP for sexually active individuals and injection drug users has been transformed dramatically.