TLC’s Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Gilead Sciences reimagined one of the group’s biggest hits in support of HIV prevention, empowerment and awareness in Black communities.

 

“So We PrEP” transforms TLC’s iconic ’90s hit “Creep” into an anthem for sexual empowerment and HIV prevention. PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a safe and effective antiretroviral medication used by HIV-negative people to reduce their risk of contracting HIV.

 

 

“In the ’90s, we used our platform to speak truth and empower people to love themselves. That mission hasn’t changed,” Watkins, 55, told People. “’So We PrEP’ is about reclaiming that same energy by taking a classic that meant something to our generation and turning it into a conversation starter about protection, pride and Black joy. We don’t whisper about our health; we sing about it.”

 

The song is a key component of Gilead’s “Care for the Culture” campaign, which aims to spark honest conversations about sexual health in Black communities, reduce stigma and more.

 

 

According to Gilead data:

 

  • Only 14% of PrEP users are Black, despite Black people accounting for 42% of new HIV diagnoses.

  • 64% of PrEP users are white, though they represent just 25% of new HIV cases.

  • Black women face staggering disparities: They account for half of all new HIV diagnoses among women while making up only 13% of the U.S. female population.

 

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends PrEP for people at risk for sexually acquired HIV. This means insurers are required to fully cover PrEP at no cost. Medicare and Medicaid also cover PrEP, but state programs may vary as to which options associated services, such as lab tests, they cover.

 

To date, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved four forms of PrEP: Truvada and Descovy are daily pills; Apretude is a shot given every two months; and Yeztugo is a twice-yearly injectable that is highly effective in women, gay men and gender-diverse populations. Due to insufficient evidence, Descovy is not yet indicated as PrEP for cisgender women and trans men. Generic (and much cheaper) versions of Truvada are available. To learn more about PrEP, see the POZ Basics on HIV Prevention: Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).

Under the rules of the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare), health insurers must cover preventive health services that receive an A or B grade from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). In August 2023, USPSTF gave an A grad to all three PrEP forms of HIV prevention that had been approved at that time: Truvada, Descovy and Apretude. (Yeztugo, also known as lenacapavir, was approved in 2025, and advocates urge health care insurers to cover it as well.)

In recent years, conservatives have filed lawsuits challenging the ACA’s mandate to cover preventive health services. These include not just PrEP but also cholesterol-lowering statins, vaccines and many screenings for cancer, diabetes and hepatitis.

In June 2025, the Supreme Court upheld the ACA mandate to cover these preventive services but stressed that the task force falls under the leadership of the nation’s health secretary. Currently, that person is Roberts F. Kennedy Jr., who is already dismantling federal health programs and services. He recently removed members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a panel of experts that sets U.S. vaccine policy. As such, the future of the USPSTF and PrEP insurance coverage remain unclear.

 

To learn more about PrEP, see the POZ Basics on HIV Prevention: Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).

Editor’s note: This article was updated to include information about Yeztugo, the latest FDA-approved form of PrEP.