City of West Hollywood is "PrEPped" to End HIV with Launch of New Awareness Campaign

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif., April 20, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The City of West Hollywood is launching a comprehensive public-awareness campaign to inform the community about Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, known as "PrEP." The campaign includes outdoor media advertising and targeted printed information with details about obtaining a PrEP prescription and about healthcare services available locally that contribute to helping prevent the spread of HIV.

In order to amplify the pro-PrEP message on social media, the City has joined with Todrick Hall to produce a catchy music video, Hakuna Truvada, as a Public Service Announcement (PSA), which was just released on Todrick Hall's YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/M-_Nm0-ZV20 .

Hakuna Truvada is supported by The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF). The campaign is part of the City of West Hollywood's HIV Zero Transmission strategic plan in collaboration with HIV and Substance Abuse Treatment service providers.

"I have been an eyewitness to the AIDS epidemic from the very beginning. I believe that PrEP is part of the beginning of the end of the epidemic," said City of West Hollywood Councilmember John J. Duran. "Thirty years ago we prayed for a medication that would prevent transmission. It is here."

"West Hollywood wants every person to access the tools and opportunity needed to avoid an HIV infection. It's important," said City of West Hollywood Councilmember John D'Amico. "Talk to your healthcare provider to see if PrEP is right for you."

The peppy PrEP PSA, Hakuna Truvada, was produced and conceived by YouTube sensation Todrick Hall, a singer, actor, director, choreographer, and dancer with more than 2.1-million followers, whose music-inspired projects are extremely popular.

Hakuna Truvada is a parody of Elton John's and Tim Rice's Oscar-nominated mega-hit song Hakuna Matata, which is featured in Disney's The Lion King. In the PSA video, dancers are adorned in wild-animal prints as they dance and prance in West Hollywood's own jungles and plains in a jaunty twist of the famous scene from The Lion King — the characters sashay to the Los Angeles LGBT Center WeHo for a health checkup and a PrEP prescription. Nearly two dozen dancers, models, and actors appear in Hakuna Truvada, including Kory DeSoto as Timon; Daniel Franzese as Pumba; Todrick Hall as Simba; Willam Belli as sexy nurse, and Tre Melvin as healthcare assistant.

"When you look at the statistics and see that 1 in 4 new HIV infections each year occurs in those aged 13-24, it's evident that young people aren't paying attention to traditional methods of education about HIV," said Joel Goldman, Managing Director of The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. "This PSA is a brilliant concept from the City of West Hollywood and Todrick Hall to break through the clutter and reach young people with really important information about HIV prevention. ETAF is thrilled to support initiatives like this."

In addition to the Hakuna Truvada video, the City of West Hollywood, in collaboration with AIDS Project Los Angeles and the Los Angeles LGBT Center, has just released a new slate of printed materials in English and Spanish with PrEP information, as well as promotional ads on Scruff and Grindr.

For more information about PrEP, please visit www.weholife.org or www.pleaseprepme.org.

For additional information about the City of West Hollywood's efforts to end HIV and to promote awareness about PrEP and sexual health, please contact the City's Social Services Division at (323) 848-6510. For people who are deaf or hearing impaired, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160420/357961LOGO

SOURCE The City of West Hollywood