PEP in Maine — post-exposure prophylaxis, 72-hour window
The number
PEP prevents HIV only if started within 72 hours of exposure; every emergency department in Maine carries it on formulary.
Ryan White Part B
Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV/STD/Viral Hepatitis Program
State ADAP
Maine AIDS Drug Assistance Program
Income cap 500% FPL
State PrEP-DAP
Not operated; federal Ready Set PrEP applies
Accessing PEP in Maine — 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 Maine, 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 1-800-851-2437 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 Frannie Peabody Center and MaineHealth Infectious Diseases Clinic as the local institutions that show up consistently — both are listed below.
Frannie Peabody Center. The Frannie Peabody Center in Portland is Maine's largest HIV service organization and the Ryan White Part B case-management contractor for the state, with satellite offices in Bangor and Lewiston and the state's highest-volume rapid-testing program.
MaineHealth Infectious Diseases Clinic. MaineHealth ID at Maine Medical Center in Portland is the state's Ryan White Part C grantee, serving about 1,100 people living with HIV across the state through a combination of in-person and telehealth appointments.
For Black families in Maine
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 Maine 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 Maine
Where to get help in Maine
- Maine HIV info line: 1-800-851-2437 — staff can find the nearest free testing site, schedule PrEP, or help enroll you in ADAP.
- Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV/STD/Viral Hepatitis Program landing page: https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/hiv-std/.
- Federally Qualified Health Centers in Maine: every FQHC offers sliding-scale HIV testing and has certified application counselors on staff. See our FQHC directory for the state at /clinics/me/.
- State health data for Maine: for state-level HIV mortality, maternal health, and life-expectancy context by race, see /health/maine/.
- Maine Medicaid: Medicaid is the largest single payer of HIV care in most states. See /medicaid/maine/ for eligibility + enrollment.
References & primary sources
- Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV/STD/Viral Hepatitis Program: https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/hiv-std/.
- 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/maine/.
- CDC PEP guidelines, non-occupational exposure: cdc.gov/hiv/clinicians/prevention/pep.html.
Data refreshed: