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: