PEP in Delaware — post-exposure prophylaxis, 72-hour window
The number
PEP prevents HIV only if started within 72 hours of exposure; every emergency department in Delaware carries it on formulary.
Ryan White Part B
Delaware Division of Public Health, HIV Program
State ADAP
Delaware AIDS Drug Assistance Program (DE-ADAP)
Income cap 500% FPL
State PrEP-DAP
Delaware PrEP Assistance Program
Accessing PEP in Delaware — 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 Delaware, 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 1-302-744-1050 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 Christiana Care Center for HIV Wellness and AIDS Delaware as the local institutions that show up consistently — both are listed below.
Christiana Care Center for HIV Wellness. The Christiana Care Center for HIV Wellness in Wilmington serves roughly two-thirds of Delaware's people living with HIV and is the state's only Ryan White Part C grantee; its Wilmington campus hosts the state HIV mortality review board.
AIDS Delaware. AIDS Delaware, based in Wilmington with satellites in Dover and Georgetown, operates Delaware's Part B case-management contract, distributes free home-test kits statewide, and hosts annual Black HIV Awareness Day events on February 7.
For Black families in Delaware
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. 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 Delaware 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 Delaware
Christiana Care Center for HIV Wellness
Newark, DE • 1-302-733-3300
AIDS Delaware — Wilmington Office
Wilmington, DE • 1-302-652-6776
AIDS Delaware — Dover Office
Dover, DE • 1-302-652-6776
Delaware Division of Public Health — Porter State Service Center
Wilmington, DE • 1-302-744-4700
Where to get help in Delaware
- Delaware HIV info line: 1-302-744-1050 — staff can find the nearest free testing site, schedule PrEP, or help enroll you in ADAP.
- Delaware Division of Public Health, HIV Program landing page: https://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/dpc/hivprev.html.
- Federally Qualified Health Centers in Delaware: every FQHC offers sliding-scale HIV testing and has certified application counselors on staff. See our FQHC directory for the state at /clinics/de/.
- State health data for Delaware: for state-level HIV mortality, maternal health, and life-expectancy context by race, see /health/delaware/.
- Delaware Medicaid: Medicaid is the largest single payer of HIV care in most states. See /medicaid/delaware/ for eligibility + enrollment.
References & primary sources
- Delaware Division of Public Health, HIV Program: https://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/dpc/hivprev.html.
- 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/delaware/.
- CDC PEP guidelines, non-occupational exposure: cdc.gov/hiv/clinicians/prevention/pep.html.
Data refreshed: