The pills are sky blue. Large, but not horse-sized. The corporate stamp, GILEAD, is printed on them in all caps.
Holding the bottle, I wonder if I’m ready to take it. I’ve read the list of potential side effects—mainly liver damage and bone density loss. My friends who’ve been on the drug for over a year have experienced neither. I’ve heard the rumors that taking this will influence me to stop using condoms and start screwing the whole touring cast of The Book of Mormon. It has taken me several months to get these pills—for free, thanks to a combination of insurance and Washington State’s drug-assistance program—and there’s something unreal about finally holding them. Holding the “miracle” HIV-prevention pill, Truvada.
My daily Truvada regimen is called PrEP, or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. That means I take it now, while I’m HIV-negative, and it prevents infection…
