PrEP in Florida, pre-exposure prophylaxis, who qualifies, how to start

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 Florida, 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.

Florida operates Florida PrEP Assistance Program, layered on top of the federal Ready, Set, PrEP program. Eligibility in Florida goes up to 300% of the federal poverty line, which covers clinician visits, lab work, and medication. Apply through the state HIV program line at 1-800-352-2437 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 University of Miami Infectious Diseases Research Institute and Broward House as the local institutions that show up consistently, both are listed below.

University of Miami Infectious Diseases Research Institute. The UM Jackson Memorial HIV Program serves about 7,000 people living with HIV across Miami-Dade and Monroe counties and is the largest Ryan White Part A grantee site in the Southeast; its adolescent clinic is one of nine nationally designated Adolescent Trials Network sites.

Broward House. Broward House in Wilton Manors is Broward County's oldest HIV service organization, operating scattered-site supportive housing and the Center for Positive Connections, a community clinic dedicated to Black women living with HIV along the State Road 7 corridor.