PrEP Ambassadorship Program

Summary

Georgia is leading the country in new HIV cases. With Chatham County also in the top percentile nationwide for high STI rates, Savannah Pride Center’s PrEP Ambassadorship Program is a groundbreaking initiative designed to directly address these staggering health inequities by reducing HIV infection rates and improving health outcomes for LGBTQIA+ individuals in Georgia. By training medical students and community leaders as PrEP ambassadors and providing linkage to free appointments for PrEP/PEP, the program simultaneously expands immediate outreach capacity and cultivates a pipeline of culturally competent healthcare providers while directly targeting HIV rates in underserved communities.

Program Goals and Objectives:

1. Increase Access to HIV Prevention Services by providing free, rapid HIV testing and PrEP/PEP referrals in a safe, affirming environment while expanding appointment availability for LGBTQIA+ patients facing long waitlists.

2. Strengthen the Healthcare Pipeline by training medical students as PrEP Ambassadors equipped with LGBTQIA+ cultural competency, HIV prevention knowledge, and stigma‑reducing communication skills. These ambassadors will carry affirming practices into their future clinical careers, creating long‑term systemic change. This includes PrEP Ambassador training for community leaders and members to shift the sexual health culture of the LGBTQIA+ population regionally and increase the rate of LGBTQIA+ people seeking PrEP/PEP.

3. Expand Public Education and Awareness through outreach at Pride events, health fairs, and community gatherings, as well as targeted digital and print campaigns.These efforts aim to reach thousands of LGBTQIA+ residents with accurate, accessible information about HIV prevention and sexual health. Train LGBTQIA+ community leaders as PrEP Ambassadors to support expansion, advocacy, and access to PrEP Education.

4. Reduce Stigma and Improve Community Trust in healthcare by offering safe, welcoming spaces for testing, education, and care navigation—particularly for rural and underserved LGBTQIA+ individuals.

Community Need:

Georgia currently leads the nation in new HIV cases, with Chatham County ranking among the highest in the country for STI rates. Local LGBTQIA+ residents face limited provider knowledge of PrEP, high stigma, and increasingly long waitlists for affirming care with one LGBTQIA+-focused provider reporting delays of up to twelve months. This program challenges these disparities head on by offering free HIV testing, rapid PrEP/PEP access, and affirming education for both community members and providers. The Southern region accounts for nearly half of the entire Adult Transgender population in the United States. Of the 2.1 million adults that identify as Transgender, 722,800 of them live in the South.[1] Trans women are 66 times as likely to acquire HIV and trans men 7 times as likely than their cisgender counterparts.[2] This alarmingly disproportionate risk further signifies the importance of taking meaningful steps towards inclusive and affirming care in the region.

Budget Request:

The program seeks $60,000 annually to support training, outreach, marketing, and direct service operational expenses. This modest investment will catalyze significant impact:

• 250+ HIV tests annually

• 150+ individuals linked to PrEP/PEP care annually

• 150+ STI tests annually

• 25+ medical students and volunteers trained as ambassadors annually

• 4 Safe Space Trainings annually

• 4 PrEP Ambassador Trainings annually

• Thousands reached through events and campaigns annually

• Weekly Clinic Hours

Impact & Sustainability:

This initiative not only provides immediate HIV prevention services but also builds long‑term capacity by shaping future healthcare providers and destigmatizing HIV prevention and care in the region. By embedding affirming practices into medical education and leveraging strong partnerships, the program is designed for sustainability and scalability across Georgia. Implementing a community action initiative by training community leaders works to shift the culture of this regional population toward seeking care due to the visibility and newfound expectations for PrEP conversations publicly and privately.

Conclusion:

The Savannah Pride Center’s PrEP Ambassadorship Program represents a high‑impact, cost‑effective solution to one of Georgia’s most urgent public health challenges. With your support, we can expand access to lifesaving HIV prevention tools, empower the LGBTQIA+ community, and create a replicable model for the South. Together, we can close the gap in care and build a healthier, more inclusive future where equitable care is not an exception, it’s expected.