A new Emory University study confirms what many in public health have suspected: telehealth has officially reshaped HIV prevention in the United States. The research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), highlights how MISTR is now providing HIV prevention care to 19% of all Americans using PrEP.
The data, spanning 2018 to 2025, analyzed de-identified records from MISTR’s national telehealth network alongside CDC and AIDSVu data. The findings illustrate just how dramatically prevention care has shifted online. More than one-third of MISTR users are uninsured, and over 80% completed at-home testing for HIV and STIs, including hepatitis screenings. The convenience and privacy of telehealth appear to be breaking long-standing barriers to care.
A Model for Accessible Prevention
Using savings from the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program, MISTR reinvests funding to cover lab work, consultations, virtual visits, and prescriptions, not only for insured users but also those with no coverage. The study points to MISTR as a successful model for how 340B dollars can be used transparently to expand preventive care.
The platform also offers free DoxyPEP, a preventive medication taken after sex, which has cut STI infections among its patients by nearly half. Researchers note that when preventive medicine is convenient, stigma-free, and financially accessible, people are more likely to use it consistently.
“This study is validation that our model works and that telehealth can help end HIV and reduce STIs in the U.S. without costing patients or taxpayers a penny,” said Tristan Schukraft, founder and CEO of MISTR. “When care is free, fast, and stigma-free, people use it.”
Lead author Dr. Aaron Siegler of Emory University said the results show how innovative access points are reaching people who often don’t receive care in traditional medical settings.
Breaking Stigma Through Community-Centered Prevention
MISTR is not just a healthcare provider, it’s also a visibility powerhouse. Through social campaigns, nightlife activations, and community events, the platform has shifted how people talk about sexual health. Its National PrEP Day campaign reached millions online, helping normalize conversations around HIV prevention and building a culture centered on empowerment rather than shame.
Harold Phillips, CEO of the National Minority AIDS Council, said MISTR’s role is vital: “Ensuring PrEP access is one of NMAC’s strategic pathways to ending the HIV epidemic among communities of color.”
Carl Schmid of the HIV + Hepatitis Policy Institute emphasized MISTR’s impact on policy and efficiency, calling it an example of how 340B funds can drive real health outcomes.
A New Era of Prevention: PrEP, DoxyPEP, and Long-Acting Protection
MISTR and its sister platform, SISTR, are currently the only national telehealth providers offering completely free PrEP, whether or not patients have insurance. Users receive lab testing, physician consultations, prescriptions, and medication shipments at no cost.
Patients can also bundle PrEP with DoxyPEP, a post-exposure antibiotic shown to significantly reduce the risk of bacterial STIs such as syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. And the next phase of prevention is already here: MISTR is enrolling patients for Yeztugo, a long-acting injectable PrEP option that requires just one dose every six months.
The Emory study closes with a call for policymakers to preserve the programs that make this level of access possible, including telehealth services and 340B funding.
Because when prevention is free, stigma-free, and available from your couch, people use it, and lives change.
