PrEP in Colorado — pre-exposure prophylaxis, who qualifies, how to start
The number
Colorado PrEP Assistance Program covers PrEP medication + clinician visits + labs for residents up to 400% of the federal poverty line.
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
How to start PrEP in Colorado
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a daily pill (Truvada, Descovy) or every-two-months injection (Apretude) that prevents HIV in people who don't have HIV. Taken as prescribed, daily-pill PrEP reduces the risk of sexually transmitted HIV by about 99% and the risk from injection-drug sharing by about 74%, per CDC. In Colorado, PrEP is available through primary-care providers, FQHCs, LGBTQ+ community health centers, and Ryan White Part C clinics — you do not need to see an HIV specialist to start.
To qualify for PrEP you need a recent negative HIV test (or one done the same day), a baseline labs panel (kidney function, hepatitis B, STIs), and a prescriber visit. Follow-up is every three months for a repeat HIV test and medication refill. Most insurance including Medicaid covers PrEP with zero out-of-pocket under the USPSTF Grade A preventive-services rule. The drug manufacturers (Gilead, ViiV) operate patient-assistance programs for anyone without insurance.
Colorado operates Colorado PrEP Assistance Program, layered on top of the federal Ready, Set, PrEP program. Eligibility in Colorado goes up to 400% of the federal poverty line, which covers clinician visits, lab work, and medication. Apply through the state HIV program line at 1-303-692-2700 or any community HIV organization that holds a state PrEP navigation contract.
Black PrEP uptake nationally lags sharply — a 2023 AIDSVu analysis found that Black Americans account for 42% of new HIV diagnoses but only 14% of PrEP users. 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
PrEP uptake among Black Americans lags sharply — AIDSVu's 2023 PrEP-to-Need ratio analysis puts the Black PrEP ratio at roughly one-eighth the white ratio. In Colorado specifically, with 20% of new 2022 diagnoses among Black residents, closing that PrEP gap is the single highest-leverage prevention move. Black-led HIV organizations in the state run PrEP-specific navigation programs that match you with a prescriber, handle benefits coordination, and keep you in the three-month follow-up rhythm.
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.
- Federal Ready, Set, PrEP: getyourprep.com — no-cost PrEP medication for people without insurance.
- CDC NPIN testing-site finder: gettested.cdc.gov accepts a zip code and returns every free + low-cost HIV testing site within 50 miles.
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 PrEP guidelines, 2021 update: cdc.gov/hiv/clinicians/prevention/prep.html.
Data refreshed: