PEP in Colorado — post-exposure prophylaxis, 72-hour window
The number
PEP prevents HIV only if started within 72 hours of exposure; every emergency department in Colorado carries it on formulary.
Ryan White Part B
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, STI/HIV Section
State ADAP
Colorado AIDS Drug Assistance Program (CO-ADAP)
Income cap 400% FPL
State PrEP-DAP
Colorado PrEP Assistance Program
Accessing PEP in Colorado — 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 Colorado, 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 1-303-692-2700 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 Denver Health Infectious Diseases Clinic and Colorado Health Network as the local institutions that show up consistently — both are listed below.
Denver Health Infectious Diseases Clinic. The Denver Health ID Clinic is Colorado's largest Ryan White Part C site, serving nearly 4,000 people living with HIV, with a dedicated Black Women's HIV Navigation Program that emerged from 2019 community listening sessions.
Colorado Health Network. Colorado Health Network (formerly Colorado AIDS Project) operates the Ryan White Part B care coordination for the state, with offices in Denver, Colorado Springs, and Grand Junction and a rapid-testing program at the Denver Center on Speer Boulevard.
For Black families in Colorado
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 Colorado 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 Colorado
Denver Health Infectious Diseases Clinic
Denver, CO • 1-303-602-6000
Colorado Health Network — Denver Center
Denver, CO • 1-303-837-1501
Colorado Health Network — Colorado Springs Office
Colorado Springs, CO • 1-719-578-9092
Children's Hospital Colorado — Infectious Disease Clinic
Aurora, CO • 1-720-777-6839
The Center on Colfax LGBTQ Center — HIV Testing
Denver, CO • 1-303-733-7743
Where to get help in Colorado
- Colorado HIV info line: 1-303-692-2700 — staff can find the nearest free testing site, schedule PrEP, or help enroll you in ADAP.
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, STI/HIV Section landing page: https://cdphe.colorado.gov/hiv-and-sti-programs.
- Federally Qualified Health Centers in Colorado: every FQHC offers sliding-scale HIV testing and has certified application counselors on staff. See our FQHC directory for the state at /clinics/co/.
- State health data for Colorado: for state-level HIV mortality, maternal health, and life-expectancy context by race, see /health/colorado/.
- Colorado Medicaid: Medicaid is the largest single payer of HIV care in most states. See /medicaid/colorado/ for eligibility + enrollment.
References & primary sources
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, STI/HIV Section: https://cdphe.colorado.gov/hiv-and-sti-programs.
- 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/colorado/.
- CDC PEP guidelines, non-occupational exposure: cdc.gov/hiv/clinicians/prevention/pep.html.
Data refreshed: