My PrEP Journey: Santiago Cejudo
¡Hola a todos!
My name is Santiago (he/him), but my friends call me “Iago” (yes, like the bird from Aladdin!), and I was born and raised in Mexico City. My life in the United States began in 2020, and Chicago has been my home since 2022. Despite the intense cold, it feels good to say I’ve found a new community here—one filled with incredible LGBTQ+ friends and colleagues, a place where I’ve grown in my psychology career, and even discovered a love for baseball (Go, Cubs!).
Recently, I joined the PrEP4Teens project, and it’s been amazing to connect with others who share my passion for empowering others to take control of their sexual health. Looking back, I wish someone had told me as a teenager that HIV prevention and treatment resources were out there for everyone to protect themselves and those they care about.
My own PrEP journey started in 2017, thanks to a program by Mexico City’s public health institute. I was curious but a little hesitant at first. "Aren’t condoms safe enough?" I wondered.
Growing up as a young gay man in Mexico, conversations about HIV felt distant, hidden, or brushed aside due to stigma around both the disease and LGBTQ+ issues. I’ve always embraced a sex-positive mindset, believing that everyone deserves to have consensual sex, get tested, and have access to the right care—without shame or judgment, so I try to have those conversations as much as possible. As I learned more about PrEP, its purpose resonated deeply with my vision of sexual health. I was one of the first to sign up for that program in Mexico City!
To me, HIV is not an individual problem that affects only people who are living with HIV: it’s a community issue, and we all have to act and protect each other, regardless of our status. Being sexually active means accepting that there’s no absolute certainty – that’ s the nature of life! But I believe that knowing this can inspire us to become involved, inform others, and make the best decisions for our sexual health.
Now, does this mean that PrEP and condoms will always be my only go-to’s? I can’t say for sure, but I am SO grateful for the peace of mind and awareness that staying on it has brought me for almost eight years. PrEP is a tool that has allowed me to explore my sexuality openly and confidently, making connections with others and getting to know myself better while taking care of my own health and looking out for our community.
PrEP might be what works for you too, and the PrEP4Teens team is ready to support you on that journey.