This is a space where people who have been or are currently on PrEP detail their experiences, share insights, and highlight the impact PrEP has had in their lives. This is Chrissy’s profile. Q: Tell us a bit about yourself. A: My name is Chrissy W., and I am a sex worker. I work at a strip club and I film amateur porn with my husband who is a porn producer and films with multiple women as I film with multiple men. I am 29 years old with no children and have been married to my husband for 3 years and together for 6 years. We’ve been in an open relationship for almost 4 years now while each having multiple partners. We are both sober and work a 12-step program and live by spiritual principles to the best of our abilities. Q: What makes PrEP relevant to you? A: PrEP is relevant to me because of the industry I work in. I have multiple sex partners for work and pleasure. Although we all may be tested frequently for STIs, it is still extremely important for me to take PrEP. The HIV virus could take months to show in tests from new partners and if i’m capable of having PrEP on hand to prevent such a virus, well, it just makes sense to use that preventative [tool]. Q: What has your experience with PrEP been like? A: It did take some time for me to get the prescription in hand. The [testing was] easy to schedule and results came back efficiently. The pricing, however, even with health insurance, was a bit costly, which I found discouraging. How could something that would benefit my health cost so much? While I have my own beliefs about big pharmaceutical companies, I’ll just say there was another program that I could apply to that would cover the costs and I am grateful for that. The side effects of PrEP were a little unpleasant the first 7 days – upset stomach and headaches – but they did begin to subside. I drank more water and just rested until my body adjusted. Q: If you could convey one thing about PrEP to those reading this, what would it be? A: If I could convey one thing about PrEP to anyone reading this it would be [that] if you are sexually active with more than one partner and a clean bill of health, why not protect yourself from HIV? We can agree it’s very difficult to be honest in new sexual relationships and sometimes “one night stands” occur with or without much recollection of what was said or happened. You can give yourself a higher chance of protection. This is not an opportunity to go around having unprotected sex (no condoms), but a chance to make a mature decision for yourself and others. Q: Anything else we should know? A: PrEP should be known around all communities. It should be bigger in blogs and all readings. My hope is one day, hopefully in the near future, more teenagers, young people, and adults will understand what PrEP is and can prevent. That day, it’ll be recognized for what it really is! If you’d like to share your experience with PrEP, contact Zach Kosinski at zachary.kosinski@maryland.gov or submit your responses directly by following this link.