PrEP in Maryland — 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 Maryland, 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.

Maryland operates Maryland PrEP Drug Assistance Program (PrEPDAP), layered on top of the federal Ready, Set, PrEP program. Eligibility in Maryland goes up to 500% of the federal poverty line, which covers clinician visits, lab work, and medication. Apply through the state HIV program line at 1-410-767-5013 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 Johns Hopkins Moore Clinic for HIV Care and University of Maryland THRIVE (Immune Deficiency Program) as the local institutions that show up consistently — both are listed below.

Johns Hopkins Moore Clinic for HIV Care. The Moore Clinic at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore is one of the largest Ryan White Part C clinics in the country, serving nearly 3,000 people living with HIV — 80% Black — and hosting the Hopkins CFAR's Black-HIV implementation science program since 1984.

University of Maryland THRIVE (Immune Deficiency Program). UMMC's THRIVE program in Baltimore — the Institute of Human Virology clinical arm — serves about 6,000 people living with HIV across Baltimore City and western Maryland, with the JACQUES Initiative's Black-community outreach and retention-in-care program on North Avenue.