PrEP in North Carolina — pre-exposure prophylaxis, who qualifies, how to start
The number
North Carolina does not operate a state PrEP-DAP; the federal Ready, Set, PrEP program covers medication for eligible uninsured residents.
Ryan White Part B
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Communicable Disease Branch
State ADAP
North Carolina AIDS Drug Assistance Program (NC-ADAP)
Income cap 300% FPL
State PrEP-DAP
Not operated; federal Ready Set PrEP applies
How to start PrEP in North Carolina
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 North Carolina, 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.
North Carolina 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 1-919-733-7301 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 UNC Infectious Diseases Clinic and RAIN (Regional AIDS Interfaith Network) as the local institutions that show up consistently — both are listed below.
UNC Infectious Diseases Clinic. The UNC Infectious Diseases Clinic in Chapel Hill is the Ryan White Part C grantee for central North Carolina, serving about 2,400 people living with HIV; UNC is the training home for the NC AIDS Training and Education Center, which certifies HIV primary-care providers across the state.
RAIN (Regional AIDS Interfaith Network). RAIN in Charlotte is a Ryan White Part B case-management contractor for the western half of North Carolina and operates the state's only faith-community-partnered HIV program, serving roughly 1,200 clients across Mecklenburg, Gaston, Union, and Iredell counties.
For Black families in North Carolina
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 North Carolina specifically, with 61% 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 North Carolina
UNC Infectious Diseases Clinic
Chapel Hill, NC • 1-919-966-4000
RAIN — Regional AIDS Interfaith Network Charlotte
Charlotte, NC • 1-704-372-7246
Rosedale Health & Wellness Center — Charlotte
Charlotte, NC • 1-704-948-8582
Alliance of AIDS Services Carolina — Raleigh
Raleigh, NC • 1-919-834-2437
Southerners on New Ground (SONG) Health Testing Events — Durham
Raleigh, NC • 1-404-549-8645
Winston-Salem State University — North Carolina AIDS Education & Training Center
Winston-Salem, NC • 1-336-716-2011
Guilford County Division of Public Health — Sexual Health Clinic
Greensboro, NC • 1-336-641-3245
Where to get help in North Carolina
- North Carolina HIV info line: 1-919-733-7301 — staff can find the nearest free testing site, schedule PrEP, or help enroll you in ADAP.
- North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Communicable Disease Branch landing page: https://epi.dph.ncdhhs.gov/cd/hiv.html.
- Federally Qualified Health Centers in North Carolina: every FQHC offers sliding-scale HIV testing and has certified application counselors on staff. See our FQHC directory for the state at /clinics/nc/.
- State health data for North Carolina: for state-level HIV mortality, maternal health, and life-expectancy context by race, see /health/north-carolina/.
- North Carolina Medicaid: Medicaid is the largest single payer of HIV care in most states. See /medicaid/north-carolina/ 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
- North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Communicable Disease Branch: https://epi.dph.ncdhhs.gov/cd/hiv.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/north-carolina/.
- CDC PrEP guidelines, 2021 update: cdc.gov/hiv/clinicians/prevention/prep.html.
Data refreshed: