HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — During Pride Month, Houston’s LGBTQ+ community is recognizing a local public health leader who is reshaping HIV prevention through education, visibility and celebration. Teriko Perkins is the manager for prevention in priority populations and adolescents at Allies in Hope. He has built a reputation for connecting underserved communities with HIV testing, prevention, resources, and care without judgment.<\/p>\n
“I want you informed, I want you educated, and I want you linked to care if that’s the thing that needs to be done,” Perkins said.<\/p>\n
Perkins said a key part of his approach is joy. As a pageant performer, he has helped create programming that blends entertainment with health education. One example is “PrEP for Life,” an event he describes as part drag pageant, part educational initiative designed to help community members learn about HIV prevention medication in an engaging environment.<\/p>\n
“PrEP for Life was my labor of love, kind of my baby,” Perkins said. “It’s a drag pageant, sort of, but it’s an educational program that allows the community to come in for a night of hair, makeup, entertainment, dance, but the whole time you’re being educated on what PrEP actually is and how the medication works and how to access the medication.”<\/p>\n
RELATED: The Feisty Collective uplifting queer creators<\/a><\/p>\n In his work with Allies in Hope, Perkins brings testing and prevention services directly into high-risk Harris County communities where HIV rates<\/a> continue to outpace the state average. He said the work is driven by the impact he sees firsthand. “Being able to see the real-life changing stories and situations, being able to see how you can step into a situation and start out just greeting someone, and by the end of that appointment or that session, you’ve totally changed someone’s life,” Perkins said. “It kind of rejuvenates me.”<\/p>\n