PrEP in New York — 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 New York, 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.

New York operates NY PrEP Assistance Program (PrEP-AP), layered on top of the federal Ready, Set, PrEP program. Eligibility in New York 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 1-800-541-2437 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 Harlem United Community AIDS Center and NYC Health + Hospitals Jacobi HIV Clinic as the local institutions that show up consistently — both are listed below.

Harlem United Community AIDS Center. Harlem United is the largest Black-led HIV organization in the United States, operating an FQHC, scattered-site supportive housing for people living with HIV, Ryan White Part A case management for upper Manhattan and the Bronx, and a dedicated Black trans women's program on 125th Street.

NYC Health + Hospitals Jacobi HIV Clinic. The Jacobi HIV Clinic in the Bronx serves about 3,500 people living with HIV — more than 80% Black or Latino — and is one of the largest Ryan White Part A sites in New York City, co-located with the Jacobi adolescent HIV program that launched the city's first perinatal HIV elimination pilot.