Officially, the charge, buried in Chapter 709 of the Iowa code, is “criminal transmission of HIV.” But no transmission had occurred.

The man Rhoades had sex with, 22-year-old Adam Plendl, had not contracted the virus.

None of the three physicians had heard of the treatment, known as Pr EP for HIV, and Finales gave up on trying to find a prescription.

It was not until two years later when Finales had moved to Baton Rouge and started working for the HIV/AIDS Alliance for Region Two Inc.

SIHLE emphasizes ethnic and gender pride, healthy relationships, assertive communication, and enhances awareness of STD/HIV risk reduction strategies such as abstaining from sex, using condoms consistently and correctly, and having fewer sex partners.

The program—which focuses on STD/HIV prevention—has successfully engaged communities across the state in the program and as a result has high levels of participant engagement and community support.

Given that Baton Rouge consistently ranks as the top city in the nation for HIV/AIDS rates per capita, you'd think that people here would be very familiar with the drug Truvada.

With the treatment plan known as Pr EP, a person who doesn't have HIV can take the pill once a day and make their chances slim to none for contracting the disease. Given that Baton Rouge consistently ranks as the top city in the nation for HIV/AIDS rates per capita, you'd think that people here would be very familiar with the drug Truvada.

Shawn, whose real name has been changed to protect his privacy, is a 31-year-old gay black man who lives in Tallahassee, Fla.

There, he works as a substitute middle school teacher and aspires to be a hip-hop artist. Shawn discovered his status in August 2013, and the news, while devastating, did not surprise him. But I live in Tallahassee, Fla., where the odds are stacked against me," he says.