To combat HIV transmission and improve access to care in Georgia, telemedicine provider MISTR has partnered with Walmart to offer free at-home HIV testing kits in seven Walmart stores, according to a MISTR news release.

 

In 2022, the South accounted for 49% of new HIV cases in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

Georgia has some of the highest HIV rates in the nation. By the end of 2022, an estimated 63,984 people were living with HIV in Georgia, with 2,575 new diagnoses. In 2021, the Atlanta metro area had the third highest rate of new HIV diagnoses in the country, with more than 25 of every 100,000 people living with HIV.

 

“There is an undeniable HIV crisis in Georgia with very few resources available,” said MISTR CEO and founder Tristan Schukraft in the news release. “This program not only marks MISTR’s first retail partnership but also addresses the community’s need for care options and increased sexual health education. I am proud that MISTR continues to democratize access to PrEP [pre-exposure prophylaxis], doxyPEP [doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis] and long-term-HIV care and show up for these underserved individuals.”

 

Initial store locations include Atlanta, Ellenwood, Morrow, Decatur and Stockbridge.

 

Customers can take HIV testing kits home and get connected to care if necessary. MISTR also offers related HIV care services such as testing for sexually transmitted infections, PrEP, doxyPEP and long-term HIV care.

 

Approximately 13% of people living with HIV in the United States don’t know they have the virus. Knowing your status is essential to protecting your health—and that of your partner.

 

MISTR has served over 350,000 people throughout the United States, including Puerto Rico.

 

To expand its reach, Schukraft, who founded MISTR to help friends access PrEP, said he plans to open storefronts across the United States in the coming years.