PEP in District of Columbia — post-exposure prophylaxis, 72-hour window
The number
PEP prevents HIV only if started within 72 hours of exposure; every emergency department in District of Columbia carries it on formulary.
Ryan White Part B
DC Department of Health, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Administration (HAHSTA)
State ADAP
DC AIDS Drug Assistance Program (DC ADAP)
Income cap 500% FPL
State PrEP-DAP
DC PrEP Drug Assistance Program
Accessing PEP in District of Columbia — 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 District of Columbia, 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 1-202-671-4900 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 Us Helping Us, People Into Living, Inc. and Whitman-Walker Health as the local institutions that show up consistently — both are listed below.
Us Helping Us, People Into Living, Inc.. Us Helping Us on Georgia Avenue NW is the oldest Black-gay-men's HIV organization in the United States, founded in 1985, operating rapid testing, peer navigation, clinical trials recruitment, and the annual US Helping Us Black Same Gender Loving Men's Leadership Conference.
Whitman-Walker Health. Whitman-Walker Health operates three FQHC sites across DC and is the backbone of DC's Ryan White Part A program, serving more than 7,000 people living with HIV — the majority Black — with the Max Robinson Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE anchoring Ward 8 services.
For Black families in District of Columbia
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 District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia
Us Helping Us, People Into Living, Inc.
Washington, DC • 1-202-446-1100
Whitman-Walker Health — 1525 14th St
Washington, DC • 1-202-745-7000
Whitman-Walker Health — Max Robinson Center
Washington, DC • 1-202-797-3500
La Clinica del Pueblo — Columbia Heights
Washington, DC • 1-202-462-4788
Family and Medical Counseling Service (FMCS)
Washington, DC • 1-202-889-7900
Unity Health Care — East of the River Health Center
Washington, DC • 1-202-232-3636
Howard University Hospital Infectious Diseases Clinic
Washington, DC • 1-202-865-1186
Where to get help in District of Columbia
- District of Columbia HIV info line: 1-202-671-4900 — staff can find the nearest free testing site, schedule PrEP, or help enroll you in ADAP.
- DC Department of Health, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Administration (HAHSTA) landing page: https://dchealth.dc.gov/service/hivaids-hepatitis-std-and-tb-administration-hahsta.
- Federally Qualified Health Centers in District of Columbia: every FQHC offers sliding-scale HIV testing and has certified application counselors on staff. See our FQHC directory for the state at /clinics/dc/.
- State health data for District of Columbia: for state-level HIV mortality, maternal health, and life-expectancy context by race, see /health/district-of-columbia/.
- District of Columbia Medicaid: Medicaid is the largest single payer of HIV care in most states. See /medicaid/district-of-columbia/ for eligibility + enrollment.
References & primary sources
- DC Department of Health, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Administration (HAHSTA): https://dchealth.dc.gov/service/hivaids-hepatitis-std-and-tb-administration-hahsta.
- 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/district-of-columbia/.
- CDC PEP guidelines, non-occupational exposure: cdc.gov/hiv/clinicians/prevention/pep.html.
Data refreshed: