“MIPrEP, MIChoice”

Stunning propaganda out of Michigan

The State of Michigan, under the auspices of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, has launched a new program called “MIPrEP, MIChoice” (spelling is an intentional play on the state abbreviation, presumably):

MDHHS launches “MIPrEP. MIChoice." campaign to prevent spread of HIV and share prevention information

Here is the stated “goal” of this program, involving administering so-called “anti-HIV drugs” to HIV-negative individuals:

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is launching a campaign targeted at sharing information to Michigan residents about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) which can prevent the spread of HIV. This initiative, titled "MIPrEP. MIChoice.” shines a spotlight on authentic stories from real people across Michigan who use PrEP to prevent the spread of HIV.

“PrEP is a medication that, when taken as prescribed, helps prevent a person from getting HIV,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. “Taking PrEP can reduce the chance of getting HIV by up to 99% for sexual encounters and 74% for injection drug use. PrEP can be taken as a daily pill or a bimonthly injection.”

Of course, as we know, this 99% figure is totally bogus and is not supported by the scientific literature. (Be sure to check out the last link; it’s to the famous iPrex PrEP study that showed 44% effectiveness. Not 99%.) We ought also to be extremely suspicious of these so-called “long lasting injectables.”

It isn’t a surprise to me that this is happening in Michigan, as that state tends to come on quite strongly when it comes to “public health initiatives.” That was certainly true during Covid; I drove through Michigan on my way to Canada in October 2021 and they were advertising Covid vaccination and testing clinics inside interstate rest stops. I’m not joking.

I’m curious why the MDHHS is promoting this “MIPrEP, MIChoice” campaign now, and also to whom.

Black and Latino communities have been affected significantly by HIV with new diagnosis rates 9 times higher for Black residents than white residents, and Latinos diagnosed at three times the rate of white residents. PrEP utilization in these communities remains far lower than among whites for a number of reasons including stigma, low perception of risk, medical mistrust, lack of awareness about PrEP and insurance status. The “MIPrEP. MIChoice.” campaign will work to close these gaps; people from these communities who have chosen to take PrEP are featured in the campaign.

Ah, there it is; they’re saying the quiet part out loud yet again. PrEP has been around since 2011, but it has been only within the past few years that there has been a concerted effort to market PrEP drugs to African Americans en masse. You can certainly see it in the advertisements, and there is a basically undisguised push for this throughout the mainstream media. I’m not surprised that uptake in that community remains low, given the historically poor treatment of African Americans by the medical community. (Tuskegee syphilis experiment, anyone?) The condescension and subtle racism is nauseating.

The Michigan campaign is doing something somewhat interesting, though. The campaign “highlights nine individuals from diverse backgrounds who share their own reasons for using PrEP. Each personal story represents a step towards ending the stigma around HIV and promoting a healthier future for all.” Personal stories are always interesting; let’s examine a couple. (I can’t do all nine, I don’t have the stomach for it; here’s the link: Real PrEP users in Michigan.)

JEENA

Pronouns: She/Her
Hobbies: Entertaintress, making art, making wigs

“At one point I thought I had HIV. It turned out that I didn’t, but I felt comfortable enough to seek help. It’s nerve-racking to go inside a testing clinic. I don’t feel that way anymore. It’s better to live comfortably than to feel anxious. PrEP gives my partner that safety and security of knowing that I don’t have HIV. It makes me feel at peace. My advice? Don’t believe all the myths out there, listen to the medical professionals. Do it for the people you love.”

Below Jeena’s story there is a handy button you can click to “Learn more about PrEP and take the next steps.” (Enough said.) I think Jeena’s story is actually pretty illuminating; as she says, she had thought she had HIV (because of the forty year long fear campaign, no doubt), and she refers to PrEP as giving her a sense of safety and security, and concludes with an admonition to “listen to the medical professionals” (which ones?) and “don’t believe the myths out there.” This is clearly coercive language—DON’T trust yourself, entertain no doubts, trust authority. (Also, what is an “entertaintress?”)

REESE
Pronouns: He/Him
Hobbies: Video games, outdoor activities

“PrEP makes me feel safe. It makes me feel confident and takes the worry out of the moment. Taking PrEP lessens the chance of getting HIV. I encourage people to get tested, talk to their doctor, and open the door to more safety.”

Again, here we are with the “safety” message. What about the safety of PrEP itself? Also, why all the pronouns? I’ll do one more.

TIFFANI 

Pronouns: She/They
Hobbies: Volleyball, bowling, hiking, kayaking

“I am a single mom of three boys. I got a job and was talking to others about how PrEP helps prevent HIV and I thought I should be taking this myself. It’s an extra step of protection. You think you know your partner, but you never really know. It’s a daily reminder of your choices and to take care of yourself.”

“You think you know your partner, but you never really know.” Wow. So this is what we’ve come to as a society. I have to say I’m not surprised, given that Covid madness had us so distrustful of others that some people quarantined and masked in their own homes. Now we’re encouraged to distrust the people closest to us. It’s very sinister.

AIDS has been, from the beginning, a program promoting behavior control, as Covid has been. Anyone Generation X or older surely recalls the fearful propaganda we were subjected to constantly—remember the line “if you sleep with someone, you’re sleeping with everyone they’ve ever slept with?” The focus has shifted from condoms to PrEP, and that’s what’s really alarming. Condoms are generally safe, latex allergies notwithstanding, but PrEP drugs certainly are not. However, as the search for an HIV vaccine is fizzling out, the medical establishment MUST come up with some way to market “HIV preventatives” to the general population, most of whom are at no risk for testing positive on this test that isn’t testing for a virus. It’s madness, and there seems to be no end in sight. It’s past time to push back.

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