PEP in California — post-exposure prophylaxis, 72-hour window
The number
PEP prevents HIV only if started within 72 hours of exposure; every emergency department in California carries it on formulary.
Ryan White Part B
California Department of Public Health, Office of AIDS
State ADAP
California AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP)
Income cap 500% FPL
State PrEP-DAP
PrEP Assistance Program (PrEP-AP)
Accessing PEP in California — the 72-hour window
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is a 28-day course of three HIV medications that prevents HIV after a possible exposure — condomless sex with someone who has or may have HIV, a needle-sharing event, or a needlestick injury. PEP works only if started within 72 hours of exposure and works best when started within the first 2 hours. If you're reading this after a recent possible exposure and you haven't started PEP yet, treat it as an emergency: go to the nearest emergency department tonight.
In California, PEP is available from every emergency department and from urgent-care clinics at some community health centers. The standard regimen — tenofovir/emtricitabine plus dolutegravir or raltegravir — is on the formulary of every major retail pharmacy. The first week's worth is often dispensed directly from the ED; a follow-up visit within a few days transitions you to a 28-day prescription. Four weeks later, a repeat HIV test confirms the prevention worked.
Cost: most insurance plans cover PEP with standard copays. If you're uninsured or your exposure was sexual assault, the Gilead Advancing Access patient-assistance program and the Office for Victims of Crime's Crime Victim Compensation Fund cover the full course. Some states run state-level Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (SAFE) funds that pay PEP costs when exposure follows a reported assault. The state HIV line is 1-800-367-2437 if you need help figuring out the right place to go tonight.
If your PEP course finishes and you think you may be at ongoing risk, ask about starting PrEP the same week. PrEP-to-PEP-to-PrEP sequencing is common and supported — you do not have to wait between the two. Long-time Black residents name APLA Health and San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF) — Strut as the local institutions that show up consistently — both are listed below.
APLA Health. APLA Health (formerly AIDS Project Los Angeles) operates seven FQHC sites across Los Angeles County and is the largest Ryan White provider in California, with dedicated Black health-equity programming through its Black Treatment Advocates Network.
San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF) — Strut. SFAF's Strut clinic in the Castro runs one of the nation's highest-volume PrEP programs; SFAF also operates the Black Brothers Esteem program, the Bay Area's Black-men-centered peer support and HIV prevention initiative founded in 1991.
For Black families in California
Black patients are less likely to be offered PEP in the emergency department than white patients with comparable exposures, per published ED-utilization research. If you're in California and you show up at an ED within 72 hours of a possible exposure, advocate for yourself: ask specifically for 'HIV post-exposure prophylaxis' and the infectious-diseases consult. The community organizations listed below can also coordinate a same-day PEP dispense at their clinic in most metros.
Named HIV testing + PrEP sites in California
APLA Health — Gleicher/Chen Health Center
Los Angeles, CA • 1-213-201-1600
APLA Health — Baldwin Hills Clinic
Los Angeles, CA • 1-213-201-1600
San Francisco AIDS Foundation — Strut Clinic
San Francisco, CA • 1-415-581-1600
Rafiki Services — Black Coalition on AIDS
San Francisco, CA • 1-415-615-9945
Los Angeles LGBT Center — McDonald/Wright Building
Los Angeles, CA • 1-323-993-7400
AIDS Healthcare Foundation — Hollywood Testing
Los Angeles, CA • 1-323-860-5200
AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA Oakland) — East Bay Getting to Zero
Oakland, CA • 1-510-873-0040
Alameda County Public Health Department HIV Testing
Oakland, CA • 1-510-267-3230
Family Health Centers of San Diego — Ryan White Clinic
San Diego, CA • 1-619-515-2300
San Ysidro Health — HIV Specialty Clinic
San Diego, CA • 1-619-662-4100
Where to get help in California
- California HIV info line: 1-800-367-2437 — staff can find the nearest free testing site, schedule PrEP, or help enroll you in ADAP.
- California Department of Public Health, Office of AIDS landing page: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DOA/Pages/OAMain.aspx.
- Federally Qualified Health Centers in California: every FQHC offers sliding-scale HIV testing and has certified application counselors on staff. See our FQHC directory for the state at /clinics/ca/.
- State health data for California: for state-level HIV mortality, maternal health, and life-expectancy context by race, see /health/california/.
- California Medicaid: Medicaid is the largest single payer of HIV care in most states. See /medicaid/california/ for eligibility + enrollment.
References & primary sources
- California Department of Public Health, Office of AIDS: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DOA/Pages/OAMain.aspx.
- 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/california/.
- CDC PEP guidelines, non-occupational exposure: cdc.gov/hiv/clinicians/prevention/pep.html.
Data refreshed: