PrEP in Georgia, pre-exposure prophylaxis, who qualifies, how to start
The number
Georgia PrEP Assistance Program covers PrEP medication + clinician visits + labs for residents up to 300% of the federal poverty line.
Ryan White Part B
Georgia Department of Public Health, HIV/AIDS Epidemiology Section
State ADAP
Georgia AIDS Drug Assistance Program
Income cap 400% FPL
State PrEP-DAP
Georgia PrEP Assistance Program
How to start PrEP in Georgia
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 Georgia, 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.
Georgia operates Georgia PrEP Assistance Program, layered on top of the federal Ready, Set, PrEP program. Eligibility in Georgia 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 1-800-551-2728 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 Grady Ponce de Leon Center (Emory Infectious Diseases Program) and THRIVE SS as the local institutions that show up consistently, both are listed below.
Grady Ponce de Leon Center (Emory Infectious Diseases Program). Emory's Ponce de Leon Center at Grady Hospital in Atlanta is the largest Ryan White-funded HIV clinic in the United States, serving more than 6,000 people living with HIV annually, over 80% Black, and hosting the CDC-funded Getting to Zero Atlanta implementation science program.
THRIVE SS. THRIVE SS is Atlanta's Black-gay-men-led HIV service organization, founded in 2015 at the Counter Narrative Project. THRIVE SS runs rapid testing, peer navigation, and the annual BLACKOUT HIV summit, the largest Black-queer-centered HIV convening in the South.
For Black families in Georgia
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 Georgia specifically, with 71% 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 Georgia
Grady Ponce de Leon Center
Atlanta, GA • 1-404-616-2440
THRIVE SS
Atlanta, GA • 1-404-549-8455
Someone Cares Inc. of Atlanta
Marietta, GA • 1-770-919-1901
AID Atlanta — Spring Street Office
Atlanta, GA • 1-404-870-7700
Positive Impact Health Centers — Midtown
Atlanta, GA • 1-404-589-9040
Positive Impact Health Centers — Duluth
Duluth, GA • 1-404-589-9040
Fulton County Board of Health — Central STD/HIV Clinic
Atlanta, GA • 1-404-612-0884
DeKalb County Board of Health — Kirkwood Clinic
Atlanta, GA • 1-404-294-3700
SisterLove, Inc.
Atlanta, GA • 1-404-505-7777
Savannah Health Services — St. Joseph's/Candler
Savannah, GA • 1-912-819-4000
Where to get help in Georgia
- Georgia HIV info line: 1-800-551-2728, staff can find the nearest free testing site, schedule PrEP, or help enroll you in ADAP.
- Georgia Department of Public Health, HIV/AIDS Epidemiology Section landing page: https://dph.georgia.gov/hivaids.
- Federally Qualified Health Centers in Georgia: every FQHC offers sliding-scale HIV testing and has certified application counselors on staff. See our FQHC directory for the state at /clinics/ga/.
- State health data for Georgia: for state-level HIV mortality, maternal health, and life-expectancy context by race, see /health/georgia/.
- Georgia Medicaid: Medicaid is the largest single payer of HIV care in most states. See /medicaid/georgia/ 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
- Georgia Department of Public Health, HIV/AIDS Epidemiology Section: https://dph.georgia.gov/hivaids.
- 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/georgia/.
- CDC PrEP guidelines, 2021 update: cdc.gov/hiv/clinicians/prevention/prep.html.
Data refreshed: