September 22, 2021

As a guest on a ring-wing commentator Eric Erikson’s podcast, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp made some comments about his stance on healthcare mandates. Kemp has been very critical of the Biden Administration’s attempts to enact COVID-19 mandates, due to the pandemic. He has been staunchly against vaccine and mask mandates, going as far as fighting the Biden administration on some of its mandate attempts.

While on the podcast, Kemp referred to his knowledge of a non-existent HIV/AIDS vaccine and said that he considered education to be more effective than government mandates. It is believed that he was trying to make the point that vaccine mandates do not work and he attempted to back that statement up by stating the following:

"That is basically how the AIDS vaccine worked. People wouldn't take it early on because it was mandated, they started educating people and now it is doing a lot of good out there….Same scenario, different year that we are dealing with right now."

We at SisterLove, Inc., as an HIV/AIDS organization, feel it is our duty to correct misinformation surrounding HIV/AIDS. There has never been an HIV/AIDS vaccine. In fact, just last month, an HIV vaccine trial conducted by Johnson and Johnson failed.

While there are preventative measures one can take to prevent themselves from transmitting or acquiring HIV/AIDS, a vaccine to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS does not exist yet. What does exist is medication like PReP and PeP.

PReP stands for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), PReP is a medication that can be taken by people who are not living with HIV/AIDS but has an increased risk of contracting the infection. Examples of people that PReP would be useful for are sex workers, injection drug users, and many other people who are at risk for HIV/AIDS.

PeP stands for Post-Exposure Prophylaxis. It refers to the use of antiretroviral drugs for people who are not living with HIV but have been exposed to the bodily fluids or needles of a person who is living with HIV. For PeP to be effective at stopping the transmission of the virus, it must be taken within 72 hours of the contact for four weeks.

If you are in the Atlanta area and would like to be tested for HIV/AIDS, please reach out to us! You can call to schedule an appointment for HIV/STI testing by calling us at [phone number]. Testing is free and confidential. If you are living with HIV/AIDS, you are not alone.

At SisterLove, we operate many different programs for people, in particular, Black women living with HIV/AIDS. Many of our colleagues are openly living with HIV and can provide you with the support you need after a diagnosis. We are here to help you! Please reach out.

If you would like to support our work to eradicate the negative stigma and health outcomes for people living with HIV/AIDS both in this country and globally, please consider becoming a monthly supporter. For as little as $5 a month, you can help us to expand healthcare access to women and girls here in the United States and South Africa.

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