PrEP in Louisiana — pre-exposure prophylaxis, who qualifies, how to start
The number
Louisiana PrEP Access Program covers PrEP medication + clinician visits + labs for residents up to 400% of the federal poverty line.
Ryan White Part B
Louisiana Department of Health, STD/HIV/Hepatitis Program
State ADAP
Louisiana Drug Assistance Program (LADAP)
Income cap 400% FPL
State PrEP-DAP
Louisiana PrEP Access Program
How to start PrEP in Louisiana
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 Louisiana, 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.
Louisiana operates Louisiana PrEP Access Program, layered on top of the federal Ready, Set, PrEP program. Eligibility in Louisiana 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 1-504-568-7474 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 CrescentCare and Priority Health Care as the local institutions that show up consistently — both are listed below.
CrescentCare. CrescentCare (formerly NO/AIDS Task Force) in New Orleans is Louisiana's largest HIV service organization and an FQHC, serving about 4,800 people living with HIV across Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Bernard parishes with integrated primary care, PrEP, and ADAP fulfillment.
Priority Health Care. Priority Health Care in Marrero, Louisiana, is a Black-owned Ryan White Part B contractor and FQHC serving the West Bank with integrated HIV primary care, hepatitis C co-infection treatment, and a specialized program for Black trans women.
For Black families in Louisiana
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 Louisiana specifically, with 69% 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 Louisiana
CrescentCare — Elysian Fields Clinic
New Orleans, LA • 1-504-821-2601
CrescentCare — Midtown Clinic
New Orleans, LA • 1-504-821-2601
Priority Health Care — Marrero
Marrero, LA • 1-504-309-2023
Philadelphia Center — Shreveport
Shreveport, LA • 1-318-222-2437
HAART (HIV/AIDS Alliance for Region Two) — Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, LA • 1-225-927-2273
LSU HIV Outpatient Program (HOP) Clinic
New Orleans, LA • 1-504-412-1400
Where to get help in Louisiana
- Louisiana HIV info line: 1-504-568-7474 — staff can find the nearest free testing site, schedule PrEP, or help enroll you in ADAP.
- Louisiana Department of Health, STD/HIV/Hepatitis Program landing page: https://ldh.la.gov/subhome/15.
- Federally Qualified Health Centers in Louisiana: every FQHC offers sliding-scale HIV testing and has certified application counselors on staff. See our FQHC directory for the state at /clinics/la/.
- State health data for Louisiana: for state-level HIV mortality, maternal health, and life-expectancy context by race, see /health/louisiana/.
- Louisiana Medicaid: Medicaid is the largest single payer of HIV care in most states. See /medicaid/louisiana/ 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
- Louisiana Department of Health, STD/HIV/Hepatitis Program: https://ldh.la.gov/subhome/15.
- 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/louisiana/.
- CDC PrEP guidelines, 2021 update: cdc.gov/hiv/clinicians/prevention/prep.html.
Data refreshed: