PrEP in Delaware, pre-exposure prophylaxis, who qualifies, how to start
The number
Delaware PrEP Assistance Program covers PrEP medication + clinician visits + labs for residents up to 400% of the federal poverty line.
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
How to start PrEP in Delaware
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 Delaware, 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.
Delaware operates Delaware PrEP Assistance Program, layered on top of the federal Ready, Set, PrEP program. Eligibility in Delaware 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 1-302-744-1050 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 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. 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 Delaware specifically, with 56% 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 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.
- 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
- 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 PrEP guidelines, 2021 update: cdc.gov/hiv/clinicians/prevention/prep.html.
Data refreshed: