Why Cisgender Black and Brown Women Are Underserved by PrEP — and How Pharmacists Can Help Close the Gap

In an interview with Pharmacy Times, Jaimee Colvin, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, a family nurse practitioner and host of @PrepTalkwithJaimee, addresses one of the most pressing disparities in HIV prevention: despite accounting for 19% of new HIV diagnoses nationally, cisgender women represent only 9% of PrEP users. In this first part of the conversation, Colvin explores the systemic, clinical, and social barriers driving that gap, which was shared at the 2026 American Conference for the treatment of HIV (ACTHIV).

If we put as much emphasis on our sexual health assessment as providers as we do our cardiovascular assessment, or our pulmonary workup, or our workup when we're discussing kidneys and other functions of the human body, then it would be a great segue to a seamless conversation about sexual health, PrEP, HIV prevention, and those types of things. — Jaimee Colvin, MSN, APRN, FNP-C

Colvin identifies provider education as a foundational obstacle. Many cisgender Black and Brown women are not receiving PrEP counseling because the clinicians they encounter lack confidence in prescribing or discussing it. This provider-level knowledge gap compounds existing medical mistrust within these communities, creating a compounded barrier that prevention efforts have struggled to overcome. For pharmacists, this underscores the importance of being prepared to counsel patients on PrEP eligibility, initiation, and adherence—particularly when other points of care may be falling short.

Colvin also highlights the power of meeting patients where they are—through community testing in non-traditional settings, culturally resonant outreach, and increasingly, social media. Her fellowship-driven digital strategy has demonstrated that brief, data-forward content targeting Black and Brown women on social platforms can drive meaningful awareness and engagement. Pharmacists, as some of the most accessible and trusted health care professionals, are well positioned to reinforce these messages at the point of dispensing.

Colvin reframes PrEP as a universal consideration, sharing that regardless of relationship status, sexual identity, or perceived risk level, all patients are candidates for the conversation.