People of color make up just one-third of the state’s population but account for 80% of new HIV diagnoses, according to the state’s latest HIV surveillance report, prompting the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute to launch a new docuseries, “Unfiltered,” to elevate the most impacted voices.
These disparities extend to HIV prevention as well: Communities of color have historically been, and remain, underrepresented in the use of PrEP, an HIV prevention medication. Around 86% of women who were recently diagnosed with HIV in NY State are Black and Latina, yet they make up only 32% of women who are on PrEP.
The New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute announced the launch of “Unfiltered” in an effort to highlight the lived experiences of Black and Brown individuals in New York and raise awareness about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
“This campaign represents a vital step forward in our mission to end the HIV epidemic,” Joseph Kerwin, the director of the New York State Department of Health’s AIDS Institute, said in a written statement. “By amplifying authentic voices and centering the lived experiences of Black and Brown New Yorkers, we can break down the barriers of stigma and misinformation that too often prevent people from accessing life-saving tools like PrEP.”
Featuring the personal stories of eight New York influencers, artists, and advocates, the docuseries aims to humanize conversations around HIV prevention — something that is crucial for increasing PrEP awareness and trust in communities that have long been underserved.
The first episode was recently released and features Bushwick-based artist and activist Yves Mathieu East, a PrEP user who discusses being a Black queer boy and confronting generational trauma, as well as the process of coming to terms with his queerness and even finding the beauty in it.
“In the simplest of terms, PrEP is HIV prevention,” East said. “I feel liberation in my sexuality. Being on PrEP is an accent to that liberation.”
New episodes will be released every two weeks on the “Unfiltered” website and address the disproportionate impact of HIV on communities of color and the need for culturally relevant prevention strategies. Some of the people it will feature are Jade Verette, Boy Radio, and Gabriel Ocasio-Cortez, among others.
“The ‘Unfiltered’ series centers around honest conversations about HIV prevention in communities of color and the lived experiences of real people,” State Health Commissioner Dr. James Mcdonald said in a written statement. “The campaign aims to foster open dialogue about HIV prevention resources and build community connections focused on awareness and equitable access to preventive health care.”
