Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, released the following statement from Executive Director Tony Hoang following Governor Gavin Newsom signing SB 339 into law — a bill authored by Senator Scott Wiener which further expands access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to prevent HIV, specifically the ability of pharmacists to furnish these medications without a doctor’s prescription:

“We thank Governor Newsom for signing this critical healthcare legislation. PrEP and PEP prevent thousands of new HIV infections every year, but they are still far too difficult for many Californians to access. SB 339 will make it easier for California pharmacists to provide these important medications without a doctor’s prescription and bring the state one step closer to ending the HIV epidemic. We were proud to partner with the California Pharmacists Association and San Francisco AIDS Foundation on this important bill, and we are grateful to Senator Wiener for his ongoing leadership on this issue.“

###

Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization. We bring the voices of LGBTQ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ people. We advance civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those we serve. www.eqca.org