Three Men Share How PrEP Changed Their Lives

Three men are sharing powerful stories about how modern HIV prevention has changed their lives, offering hope and practical wisdom for anyone navigating sexual health today.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is a prescription medication that lowers the risk of getting HIV through sex by 99 percent when taken as prescribed. It comes as a daily pill or long-acting injection, and it's become a game changer for people who want to take control of their sexual health.

Dr. Jack O'Brien, a family medicine doctor and HIV specialist in West Hollywood, remembers when his parents worried about him after he came out. Their concerns reflected the devastating reality of HIV in earlier decades, but medicine has evolved dramatically since then.

"The approval of PrEP as an HIV prevention option has changed everything about how I and everyone around me approach HIV prevention," O'Brien says. He now helps provide PrEP access to his patients, turning his personal experience into helping others protect themselves.

Author John Paul Brammer recalls being 21 and getting tested for HIV with his then-boyfriend. They sat holding hands, just words away from potentially life-changing news.

"I was told that I was HIV negative, and I thought, 'I don't want to be this vulnerable. What can I do?'" Brammer says. That moment pushed him to seek facts and science, leading him to start PrEP with his healthcare provider.

Indoor cycling instructor Ariel Padilla thought he didn't need HIV prevention during his eight-year monogamous relationship. When he became single again in New York, his perspective shifted completely.

After a health scare that turned out to be just a sinus infection, Padilla's doctor set him up with PrEP right in the office. "When you have multiple partners and don't protect yourself, it's the same as keeping a secret," Padilla explains.

Why This Inspires

These conversations matter because they remove shame and secrecy from sexual health. More than 39,000 Americans were diagnosed with HIV in 2023, but prevention tools exist that simply weren't available a generation ago.

The three men emphasize that PrEP doesn't replace condoms or regular testing, but it adds another powerful layer of protection. Their openness helps others understand that taking charge of sexual health is both possible and empowering.

O'Brien notes that younger generations may not fully grasp how devastating HIV was in the 1980s and 90s. The patients he treats who lived through that era "helped save my life" by sharing their stories and reminding him why prevention matters.

Medical progress has turned what once felt like navigating based on fear into making informed choices based on science and facts.