HIV testing in Arkansas, where to get tested, free options, what to expect
The number
290 new HIV diagnoses in Arkansas in 2022, 55% among Black residents, all preventable with timely testing and linkage to PrEP.
Ryan White Part B
Arkansas Department of Health, HIV/STD/Hepatitis C Section
State ADAP
Arkansas AIDS Drug Assistance Program
Income cap 500% FPL
State PrEP-DAP
Not operated; federal Ready Set PrEP applies
Where to get tested in Arkansas
6,500 people are living with HIV in Arkansas, and 55% of new diagnoses in 2022 were among Black residents. Getting tested is the first step, the CDC recommends at least one HIV test for every adult 13-64, and annual testing for anyone sexually active with more than one partner or injecting drugs. Rapid tests return results in about 20 minutes from a fingerstick; laboratory tests take a few days but catch infections sooner after exposure (as early as 10 days with a nucleic-acid test).
Where to test for free in Arkansas: every county health department runs an STI / HIV testing clinic, and Arkansas Department of Health, HIV/STD/Hepatitis C Section contracts with community-based organizations to operate walk-in rapid testing with evening and Saturday hours. No ID or insurance is required at these sites. Confidentiality is protected, state law requires public-health HIV testing results to stay out of your medical record unless you authorize release, and anonymous testing (no name collected) is available at most community sites.
What to expect: a pre-test conversation about risk and what a positive result would mean, the test itself (either fingerstick or blood draw), and post-test counseling. If the rapid test is reactive, the counselor draws blood for a confirmatory Western blot or antigen/antibody test. If you're positive, you'll be linked to a Ryan White Part C clinic for same-week HIV primary care and ADAP enrollment if you qualify by income.
The Arkansas HIV info line is 1-501-661-2408; staff can point you to the nearest free testing site, schedule PrEP, and help you navigate insurance or no-insurance options. Long-time Black residents name Arkansas AIDS Foundation and UAMS Infectious Diseases Clinic as the local institutions that show up consistently, both are listed below.
Arkansas AIDS Foundation. The Arkansas AIDS Foundation in Little Rock is the state's Ryan White Part B case-management grantee and operates a walk-in rapid-testing clinic on West Asher Avenue with evening and Saturday hours targeted at working-age Black men.
UAMS Infectious Diseases Clinic. The UAMS Infectious Diseases Clinic in Little Rock is Arkansas's largest Ryan White Part C site, operating the Delta AIDS Education and Training Center which trains primary-care providers across the Delta counties where Black HIV burden is highest.
For Black families in Arkansas
The South carries the heaviest HIV burden in the country: Black Southern residents make up roughly 14% of the U.S. population but account for more than half of new Black HIV diagnoses nationally. In Arkansas, 55% of new 2022 HIV diagnoses were among Black residents. That figure reflects unequal access to testing more than underlying risk: a Black person in Arkansas waits longer for an HIV diagnosis on average than a white peer, and late diagnoses translate directly into later treatment starts and worse outcomes. The community organizations listed below, particularly those flagged as Black-community anchors on the directory, operate rapid-testing sites specifically designed to close that wait-time gap.
Named HIV testing + PrEP sites in Arkansas
Arkansas AIDS Foundation
Little Rock, AR • 1-501-663-7833
UAMS Infectious Diseases Clinic
Little Rock, AR • 1-501-686-5000
Arkansas Department of Health Pulaski County Health Unit
Little Rock, AR • 1-501-280-3100
Living Affected Corporation Delta Outreach
Jonesboro, AR • 1-870-932-6262
Washington County Health Unit (Fayetteville)
Fayetteville, AR • 1-479-521-8181
Where to get help in Arkansas
- Arkansas HIV info line: 1-501-661-2408, staff can find the nearest free testing site, schedule PrEP, or help enroll you in ADAP.
- Arkansas Department of Health, HIV/STD/Hepatitis C Section landing page: https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/hiv-std-hepatitis-c-section.
- Federally Qualified Health Centers in Arkansas: every FQHC offers sliding-scale HIV testing and has certified application counselors on staff. See our FQHC directory for the state at /clinics/ar/.
- State health data for Arkansas: for state-level HIV mortality, maternal health, and life-expectancy context by race, see /health/arkansas/.
- Arkansas Medicaid: Medicaid is the largest single payer of HIV care in most states. See /medicaid/arkansas/ for eligibility + enrollment.
- CDC NPIN testing-site finder: gettested.cdc.gov accepts a zip code and returns every free + low-cost HIV testing site within 50 miles.
References & primary sources
- Arkansas Department of Health, HIV/STD/Hepatitis C Section: https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/hiv-std-hepatitis-c-section.
- CDC HIV Surveillance Report 2022: cdc.gov/hiv/library/reports/hiv-surveillance.html. Source for state-level new diagnoses and race-stratified counts.
- HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grantee list: ryanwhite.hrsa.gov/grants/part-b.
- NASTAD ADAP Monitoring Project 2024 Annual Report: nastad.org/adap-monitoring-project. Source for ADAP income cap + enrollment + PrEP-DAP data.
- AIDSVu state profile: aidsvu.org/state/arkansas/.
Data refreshed: