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: