It’s time for a revolution—in HIV prevention! This year’s PrEP Aware Week is marked October 19 to 25. Organized by the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute, PrEP Aware Week not only raises awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV but also promotes it as a “routine, accessible and life-affirming option for HIV prevention.”

The 2025 theme, “PrEP Revolution,” urges folks “to stand up—for each other and for ourselves.”

PrEP Revolution! PrEP is for everyone, and PrEP is Revolution!#PrEPRevolution#PrEPAwareWeek2025

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— Ace Da BatHound (@byllyshort.bsky.social) October 1, 2025 at 8:34 AM

The statewide campaign is led by eight ambassadors, a diverse group of New Yorkers who share what PrEP has meant for them and their communities. You can meet them all via video testimonials at PrEPforSex.org (some videos are available in Spanish and Korean). 

On the site, you’ll also have the chance to join the PrEP Revolution by sharing your personal story online with a photo, quote or reel using the hashtags #PrEPRevolution and #PrEPAwareWeek2025. (The site includes sample quotes as well as logos and graphics you can download.)

“In a time when our rights, our bodies, and our communities are being challenged across the country, we’re choosing to stand up—for each other and for ourselves,” the organizers write. “PrEP Revolution is not just a campaign—it’s a rising. A revolution built on the belief that HIV prevention is not a privilege, but a promise. A revolution that calls in everyone— across generations, identities, and communities—because the fight for health justice belongs to all of us. PrEP is more than a medication—it’s a symbol of choice, care, and community. And in a world that often tells us who we should be, this campaign is here to remind you that your health journey is yours to define.”

They continue: “We believe HIV prevention is a matter of justice. And we’re building a future where prevention is not just available, but expected—and protected—for all of us. We’re taking prevention out of the shadows. Refusing stigma. And choosing a future where people are informed, empowered, free to make choices about their own bodies, and show up in the world how they feel unapologetically themselves.”

To date, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved four forms of PrEP: Truvada and Descovy are daily pills; Apretude is a shot given every two months; and Yeztugo is a twice-yearly injectable that is highly effective in women, gay men and gender-diverse populations. Due to insufficient evidence, Descovy is not yet indicated as PrEP for cisgender women and trans men. Generic (and much cheaper) versions of Truvada are available. To learn more about PrEP, see the POZ Basics on HIV Prevention: Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).

Under the rules of the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare), health insurers must cover preventive health services that receive an A or B grade from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). In August 2023, USPSTF gave an A grade to the three forms of PrEP that had been approved at that time: Truvada, Descovy and Apretude. (Yeztugo, also known as lenacapavir, was approved in 2025; advocates urge health care insurers to cover it as well.)

In recent years, conservatives have filed lawsuits challenging the ACA’s mandate to cover preventive health services. These include not just PrEP but also cholesterol-lowering statins, vaccines and many screenings for cancer, diabetes and hepatitis.

In June 2025, the Supreme Court upheld the ACA mandate to cover these preventive services but stressed that the task force falls under the leadership of the nation’s health secretary. Currently, that person is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is already dismantling federal health programs and services. He recently removed members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a panel of experts that sets U.S. vaccine policy. As a result, the future of the USPSTF and PrEP insurance coverage remain unclear.