MISTR to provide PrEP in Puerto Vallarta
Its no secret, the bear community loves Puerto Vallarta. Beef Dip has become one of the foremost bear events in the world and now the gorgeous local bears, cubs, chubs and admirers in the region will have easier access to PrEP thanks to MISTR.
Did you know that only 25% of the 1.2 million people in the U.S. who would benefit from PrEP are actually using it? MISTR, the gay owned and operated telehealth platform, wants to bring that number closer to 100% as they work towards their mission of decreasing HIV/AIDS infections to near zero., not just in the U.S., but across the globe.
MISTR was founded by Tristan Schukraft in 2018 to provide free and discreet access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and long-term HIV treatment to provide free and discreet PrEP and long-term HIV treatment to all who need it. With states like Tennessee directly attacking and eliminating access to PrEP, MISTR’s services are more important than ever. Especially for gay and bisexual men – a population disproportionately impacted by HIV, accounting for over 70% of new HIV infections in 2021 – many of whom aren’t aware that discreet PrEP is available, free of hassle and free of cost.
Now, MISTR has announced its first international location will open in April 2023 in Puerto Vallarta’s Romantic Zone where SETAC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and distributing information about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, operated one of its two locations. SETAC, or the Solidarity Ed Thomas Civil Association, ceased operations at its two Puerto Vallarta locations last month due to lack of government funding.
“Since its founding, MISTR has been focused on increasing access and adherence to PrEP which, up to now, has kept us busy in the United States, including DC and Puerto Rico,” said Tristan Schukraft, founder of MISTR. “However, as a former resident of Puerto Vallarta with personal ties to the area, I feel a responsibility to this community and to helping eliminate any barriers the 500 patients who were using SETAC’s services may encounter trying to get PrEP, and the thousands of other eligible residents.”
Unlike its operation in the United States, where one can do everything online, MISTR will have an in-person presence in Puerto Vallarta’s Romantic Zone where Mexican nationals, permanent residents and non-residents of Mexico and Latin America can receive free access to PrEP. MISTR’s online and mail services are not currently available outside of the United States, and expats from the United States and Canada are not eligible to receive services in Mexico.
“We have a real opportunity to eliminate HIV; if everybody that’s positive is virally suppressed and everybody who’s negative is on PrEP we can decrease HIV/AIDS infections to near zero,” continued Schukraft. “That was my motivation forlaunching MISTR, but it all comes down to access. By expanding our services into Mexico and providing even more people with convenient and discreet access, we’re one step closer to making HIV’s elimination a reality.”
MISTR brings together the best doctors, pharmacists, and problem solvers to make PrEP available to all who need it. No needles, no doctor’s office, no paperwork. And most importantly, no cost.
In addition to the Puerto Vallarta location, MISTR will be opening six locations in the United States over the coming year in West Hollywood, New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, the Castro in San Francisco, North Halsted in Chicago, Oaklawn in Dallas and Wilton Manors in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Patients will be able to pick up prescriptions if they don’t want to take advantage of MISTR’s free delivery and, in the near future, will be able to receive injections of Apretude (injectable PrEP) or CABENUVA (the first injectable HIV regimen).
MISTR is targeting an April 7, 2023 opening for the Puerto Vallarta location, and may expand to other locations across the country.
About MISTR
MISTR is a telemedicine platform offering easy, discreet online access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and longterm HIV care in all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Gay owned and operated, MISTR has brought together a network of the best doctors, pharmacists, and problem solvers to make PrEP and HIV care available to all who need it – 100% free. No doctor’s office, no paperwork and free delivery.
Visit www.mistr.com.
