The West Hollywood City Council approved a plan Monday for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) that will parallel Los Angeles County’s efforts to make the drug more accessible as a method of preventing HIV transmission.

The council established a policy requiring that healthcare providers under contract with the city include information about PrEP as part of HIV prevention services they provide.

The decision follows a decision by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to make PrEP available through county-operated clinics and through healthcare providers contracting with the county.

West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey Horvath said the policy ensures people receiving services have the option of using PrEP, which refers to the medication, Truvada.

“I want people to have more options to protect themselves, and PrEP is definitely part of that,” Horvath said. “PrEP is a necessary component of the options available for preventing the spread of HIV.”

West Hollywood social services manager David Giugni said the city has also included information about PrEP on the website, www.weholife.org. Additionally, the city is working collaboratively with AIDS Project Los Angeles on a PrEP social marketing campaign that launched last weekend as part of the LA Pride Festival.