PrEP in Mississippi — pre-exposure prophylaxis, who qualifies, how to start
The number
Mississippi does not operate a state PrEP-DAP; the federal Ready, Set, PrEP program covers medication for eligible uninsured residents.
Ryan White Part B
Mississippi State Department of Health, STD/HIV Office
State ADAP
Mississippi AIDS Drug Assistance Program
Income cap 400% FPL
State PrEP-DAP
Not operated; federal Ready Set PrEP applies
How to start PrEP in Mississippi
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 Mississippi, 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.
Mississippi 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 1-601-576-7723 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 My Brother's Keeper Inc. and University of Mississippi Medical Center Adult Special Care Clinic as the local institutions that show up consistently — both are listed below.
My Brother's Keeper Inc.. My Brother's Keeper in Ridgeland, Mississippi, is the state's largest Black-led HIV service organization, operating community-based testing across the Mississippi Delta and the Community Health PEARL program — a rapid-PrEP-initiation partnership with Delta Health Center.
University of Mississippi Medical Center Adult Special Care Clinic. The UMMC Adult Special Care Clinic in Jackson is Mississippi's largest Ryan White Part C grantee, serving more than 2,800 people living with HIV — nearly 85% Black — and hosting the MS CEAL community engagement program with Jackson State University.
For Black families in Mississippi
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 Mississippi specifically, with 82% 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 Mississippi
My Brother's Keeper Inc. — Ridgeland
Ridgeland, MS • 1-601-898-0000
UMMC Adult Special Care Clinic
Jackson, MS • 1-601-984-1000
Open Arms Healthcare Center — Jackson
Jackson, MS • 1-601-500-7700
Delta Health Center — Mound Bayou
Mound Bayou, MS • 1-662-741-2151
Building Bridges Inc. — Jackson
Jackson, MS • 1-601-500-0730
Grace House — Jackson
Jackson, MS • 1-601-353-1038
Where to get help in Mississippi
- Mississippi HIV info line: 1-601-576-7723 — staff can find the nearest free testing site, schedule PrEP, or help enroll you in ADAP.
- Mississippi State Department of Health, STD/HIV Office landing page: https://msdh.ms.gov/page/14,0,150.html.
- Federally Qualified Health Centers in Mississippi: every FQHC offers sliding-scale HIV testing and has certified application counselors on staff. See our FQHC directory for the state at /clinics/ms/.
- State health data for Mississippi: for state-level HIV mortality, maternal health, and life-expectancy context by race, see /health/mississippi/.
- Mississippi Medicaid: Medicaid is the largest single payer of HIV care in most states. See /medicaid/mississippi/ 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
- Mississippi State Department of Health, STD/HIV Office: https://msdh.ms.gov/page/14,0,150.html.
- 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/mississippi/.
- CDC PrEP guidelines, 2021 update: cdc.gov/hiv/clinicians/prevention/prep.html.
Data refreshed: