Championing HIV Services for LGBTQ+ Youth

As a young gay professional, Terrell Parker spent several years working at the National Minority AIDS Council in Washington, D.C. during his 20s, advocating to help end the HIV epidemic and reduce stigma.

When Terrell moved back home to Indianapolis, he ran into an issue with his insurance that left him unable to get his prescription for pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP – a once-daily medication that helps prevent HIV infection. Despite his new physician submitting three authorizations for PrEP within a three-month period, each authorization request was rejected and considered medically unnecessary.

“As part of my work, I strive to increase access to PrEP so it was ironic that I faced the reality that PrEP wasn’t accessible to me,” Terrell says.

To compound matters, it was during this same period that he discovered he was living with HIV. “I was always proactive about prevention and treatment and felt like I was an HIV expert, so I couldn’t believe this was happening,” he recalls.

Terrell shared his journey and underscored the resilience needed to navigate HIV healthcare barriers when he spoke earlier this year at Gilead’s inaugural Global Health Equity Summit – part of the company’s commitment to improve health equity and advance access to care.

“I feel I can offer a unique perspective on the benefit of taking PrEP, what’s it’s like to be living with HIV, and now being on treatment to help keep my HIV undetectable,” explains Terrell.

Today Terrell works as the Chief Operating Officer at the Indiana Youth Group (IYG), the longest-running LGBTQ+ center in the United States. IYG offers services to LGBTQ+ youth in the Indianapolis metropolitan area, including assistance in accessing PrEP and testing for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Last year alone, 10 young people were diagnosed with HIV through the program and then assisted with access to treatment.

The organization also focuses on eliminating stigma through its judgment-free environment and its focus on addressing the social determinants of health that prevent young people from getting the care and support they need.

“We want to make sure we support every aspect of their lives and empower them to use the prevention tools available,” he says.

Mental health therapy is one such tool available to anyone ages 12 to 24, regardless of their ability to pay. Community-wide educational sessions are available to IYG clients as well as programs that help support caregivers navigating their child's LGBTQ+ identity.

The center’s long-term goal is to expand so every child within the state can live within an hour of an LGBTQ+ resource center, as well as to open centers in neighboring states.

“The reality is that stigma looks different regionally, and it also looks different in each community,” says Terrell. “That’s why it’s important to broaden our reach and open centers like this that are accessible for youth throughout the state and beyond.”