PrEP in Tennessee — 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 Tennessee, 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.

Tennessee 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 1-615-741-8530 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 Vanderbilt Comprehensive Care Clinic and Friends for Life Corporation as the local institutions that show up consistently — both are listed below.

Vanderbilt Comprehensive Care Clinic. Vanderbilt's Comprehensive Care Clinic in Nashville is Tennessee's largest Ryan White Part C grantee, serving about 3,700 people living with HIV across middle Tennessee; Vanderbilt hosts the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance community research partnership with Meharry Medical College.

Friends for Life Corporation. Friends for Life in Memphis is the Ryan White Part A case-management backbone for the Memphis EMA, serving about 2,200 clients across Shelby, Fayette, and Tipton counties and operating the state's highest-volume Black-community-focused rapid-testing program on Cooper Street.