PrEP in Maine — pre-exposure prophylaxis, who qualifies, how to start
The number
Maine does not operate a state PrEP-DAP; the federal Ready, Set, PrEP program covers medication for eligible uninsured residents.
Ryan White Part B
Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV/STD/Viral Hepatitis Program
State ADAP
Maine AIDS Drug Assistance Program
Income cap 500% FPL
State PrEP-DAP
Not operated; federal Ready Set PrEP applies
How to start PrEP in Maine
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 Maine, 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.
Maine does not operate a state-funded PrEP Drug Assistance Program; residents rely on the federal Ready, Set, PrEP program (getyourprep.com) for medication coverage, Gilead Advancing Access or ViiV Connect for the drug copay, and the USPSTF Grade A preventive-services rule for clinic visits and labs (required zero-cost-share under the ACA). The state HIV program line is 1-800-851-2437 for a PrEP clinic referral.
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 Frannie Peabody Center and MaineHealth Infectious Diseases Clinic as the local institutions that show up consistently — both are listed below.
Frannie Peabody Center. The Frannie Peabody Center in Portland is Maine's largest HIV service organization and the Ryan White Part B case-management contractor for the state, with satellite offices in Bangor and Lewiston and the state's highest-volume rapid-testing program.
MaineHealth Infectious Diseases Clinic. MaineHealth ID at Maine Medical Center in Portland is the state's Ryan White Part C grantee, serving about 1,100 people living with HIV across the state through a combination of in-person and telehealth appointments.
For Black families in Maine
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 Maine specifically, with 22% 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 Maine
Where to get help in Maine
- Maine HIV info line: 1-800-851-2437 — staff can find the nearest free testing site, schedule PrEP, or help enroll you in ADAP.
- Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV/STD/Viral Hepatitis Program landing page: https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/hiv-std/.
- Federally Qualified Health Centers in Maine: every FQHC offers sliding-scale HIV testing and has certified application counselors on staff. See our FQHC directory for the state at /clinics/me/.
- State health data for Maine: for state-level HIV mortality, maternal health, and life-expectancy context by race, see /health/maine/.
- Maine Medicaid: Medicaid is the largest single payer of HIV care in most states. See /medicaid/maine/ 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
- Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV/STD/Viral Hepatitis Program: https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/hiv-std/.
- 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/maine/.
- CDC PrEP guidelines, 2021 update: cdc.gov/hiv/clinicians/prevention/prep.html.
Data refreshed: