BY: LBS STAFF
Published 2 hours ago
In the evolving fight against HIV in the United States, a growing number of innovators are bringing bold, community-centered solutions to the fore. Among them, MISTR and its companion platform SISTR stand out as telehealth services determined to remove barriers to HIV prevention. With a mission rooted in accessibility, equity, and empowerment.
The Founder, Tristan Schukraft
At the heart of this effort is Tristan Schukraft, the founder and CEO of MISTR. Schukraft is an entrepreneur with a track record spanning technology, hospitality, and LGBTQIA+ culture. He launched MISTR to transform how sexual health care is accessed and experienced. Especially for communities disproportionately impacted by HIV.
MISTR and SISTR offer access to PrEP, a medication that reduce the risk of HIV infection by up to 99%. These services also extend to related care like DoxyPEP for certain bacterial STI prevention and routine testing for sexually transmitted infections.
What sets MISTR and SISTR apart is not just the medical services they provide, but how they deliver them. Patients complete required health reviews and at-home labs online, consult with licensed physicians virtually, and receive medication and testing kits discreetly by mail. All without needing a traditional doctor’s office visit or insurance paperwork. For most users, cost barriers are eliminated entirely, with 99% paying $0 for medication and related services.
Schukraft’s Other LGBTQIA+ Ventures
Schukraft’s entrepreneurial footprint extends far beyond MISTR and SISTR, encompassing a series of ventures. In recent years, Schukraft has become a prominent figure in LGBTQIA+ hospitality and nightlife. He acquired the iconic Abbey and The Chapel in West Hollywood. Historic venues beloved by the LGBTQIA+ community. Through his Tryst Hospitality brand, he has expanded into boutique hotels and social destinations geared toward queer travelers and communities. This includes the Tryst Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. The Tryst beachfront hotel in Puerto Rico. And the Circo nightclub in San Juan. Schukraft also has plans for properties in locations including Wilton Manors and Fire Island Pines.
MISTR and SISTR’s Impact
From its inception, MISTR was designed to break down the systemic hurdles that have historically kept too many people from accessing preventive care. In traditional healthcare settings, cost, judgement, stigma, and logistical challenges like time-consuming clinic visits can discourage patients from seeking PrEP even when they could benefit most. Schukraft recognized these barriers firsthand as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. He saw telehealth as a way to meet people where they are.
Importantly, SISTR was developed as a gender-inclusive companion platform intended to ensure that women, trans people, and other groups often overlooked in PrEP outreach have a dedicated service tailored to their needs. Though rooted in the same mission of free, stigma-free access, SISTR emphasizes supportive, confidential care for people of all genders, expanding the reach beyond MISTR’s original focus.
The Future of Care
Even as PrEP has existed for more than a decade, uptake has lagged: only about one in three people eligible for it nationwide were using it as of recent years. Initiatives like MISTR and SISTR look to change that by making prevention visible, normalized, and sex-positive.
Schukraft himself has tied the mission of these platforms to broader public health goals. He and his team launched the first-ever National PrEP Day on October 10 to drive enrollment and visibility, with the ambitious goal of signing up thousands of new PrEP users in a short span. Beyond awareness, the campaign underscores a belief that the tools exist to end the HIV epidemic, what remains is access, equity, and community commitment.
In Schukraft’s view, ending the HIV epidemic doesn’t just depend on medications or medical technology. It depends on removing stigma, reimagining access, and centering the people most affected by the disease. This philosophy has guided MISTR and SISTR from simple telehealth startups into front-line platforms in HIV prevention nationwide, helping hundreds of thousands nationwide take control of their sexual health without barriers or judgment.
