The woman wants to start practicing safer sex with her partner by consistently using condoms due to concerns about STDs and HIV risk. She learned that black women have one of the highest rates of HIV infection. When her partner resists, she proposes taking PrEP, a daily pill that can reduce HIV risk by 90% when taken with other protections like condoms. Though he worries what others may think, she convinces him that her health and safety are most important.

1. Hey, what’s up?

2. Hey babe, nothing much.
Watching the game or
whatever…

3. Oh, okay…

4. Why you look like that?
What’s wrong?

5. Well… I wanted to talk to you
about something. It’s kind of
important.

6. Okay…

7. Okay so in class we’ve been
learning a lot about HIV and
different prevention methods…
Did you know that black women
have one of the highest HIV
rates in the country?

8. Nah, didn’t know
that… What’s this got
to do with us though,
babe?

9. Well… after some consideration,
I think I would like to talk to you
about practicing safer sex. First
off, we need to use condoms
consistently, period.

10. Whoa whoa, where is
all of this coming
from?

11. I think it’s the best idea to
keep us protected from STDs,
HIV, and I know you’re not
tryna lose your scholarship for
no baby…

12. Okay but didn’t we
both agree that we
liked it better without
condoms?

13. Yeah it’s nice no doubt, but
STDs and pregnancy aren’t so
nice…

14. Well, we don’t have
much to worry about
since we’re not seeing
anyone else, right?

15. Yeah we aren’t seeing anyone
but we also aren’t with one
another 24/7… I’m not saying
I don’t trust you, all I’m saying
is, mistakes happen… And I
don’t want to be on the other
end of a positive HIV test for a
silly mistake…

16. What? So you’re saying
I’m a cheater now?

17. No! Not saying that at all… All I’m
saying is… we have to make a decision
either for better health or to play
Russian roulette with our lives. We’ve
come too far to be another statistic. I
know we’re committed to one another
and I trust you, I just want to reduce
our risk of anything that could
potentially damage our relationship…
that leads me to my last point… I’m
thinking about taking PrEP…

18. What’s that?

19. It’s Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, it’s a
daily pill that prevents you from
contracting HIV… Basically reducing
your risk by 90% for just taking it alone
and then coupling that with condoms
and other safe sex practices… it’s
practically impossible to have any
negative consequences from sex at
all… only the pleasure none of the
pain…

20. ….okay well…I
guess if it’s the
best decision
for you…

21. It is… it’s just to be on the safe side…
no worries, no nothing…

22. Alright well… I mean, go
ahead and do what you have
to do… I just don’t want
people to look at us all weird
like we got AIDS or
something… or look at you
like that.

23. Who cares what people think! This is
about me living a healthy and happy
life, I know who I’ve been with and
what I’m doing this for. It’s not for
people with HIV, it’s for people who
want to make the smart decision to
protect themselves from the
possibility of even having it in the first
place.

24. But what if people think
you’re like… idk sleeping
around or something?

25. There are tons of people on PrEP who
aren’t even sexually active but they
know the risk and they know it’s the
right decision. Looking at the rates of
HIV in this country, and in this city
alone, I’m like an open target… I’m not
trying to get hit by any easy shots, I’ve
got my protection and if that makes
me look like a ho then I’ll be a happy
and safe ho all day long without HIV.

26. Alright… alright… well… just
tell me what the doctor says
when you start taking it okay?
I just want you to be happy… I
love you.

27. I will be… And I am… I love you
too.