Denial of Coverage for PrEP is Dangerous and Unacceptable

HIVMA is deeply disturbed by today’s ruling by a U.S. District Court judge that allows employers in Texas to deny health care coverage for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis — a highly effective biomedical intervention for preventing HIV infection. This ruling is yet one more instance of unacceptable interference in scientific, evidence-based health care practices that must remain within the sanctity of the provider-patient relationship. Denying access to PrEP threatens the health of the more than 1.2 million Americans who could benefit from this potentially lifesaving intervention. Religious refusal laws allowing the personal beliefs of employers or health care providers to dictate access to prevention, care and treatment services are discriminatory and dangerous. These laws ultimately hurt everyone.

-- Marwan Haddad, MD, MPH — Chair, HIV Medicine Association