PrEP in Texas — pre-exposure prophylaxis, who qualifies, how to start
The number
Texas PrEP Assistance Program covers PrEP medication + clinician visits + labs for residents up to 200% of the federal poverty line.
Ryan White Part B
Texas Department of State Health Services, TB/HIV/STD Section
State ADAP
Texas HIV Medication Program (THMP)
Income cap 200% FPL
State PrEP-DAP
Texas PrEP Assistance Program
How to start PrEP in Texas
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 Texas, 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.
Texas operates Texas PrEP Assistance Program, layered on top of the federal Ready, Set, PrEP program. Eligibility in Texas goes up to 200% of the federal poverty line, which covers clinician visits, lab work, and medication. Apply through the state HIV program line at 1-800-299-2437 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 Legacy Community Health and Thomas Street Health Center (Harris Health System) as the local institutions that show up consistently — both are listed below.
Legacy Community Health. Legacy Community Health in Houston is the largest FQHC in Texas and the Ryan White Part A backbone for the Houston EMA, serving about 6,500 people living with HIV across 12 clinics; Legacy's Southwest Clinic on Long Point Road is the state's highest-volume Black-women-focused HIV primary-care program.
Thomas Street Health Center (Harris Health System). Thomas Street Health Center in Houston is one of the largest publicly funded HIV clinics in the U.S., serving more than 6,000 people living with HIV — over 80% Black or Latino — and co-sponsoring the University of Texas Health Center for AIDS Research.
For Black families in Texas
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 Texas specifically, with 34% 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 Texas
Legacy Community Health — Southwest Clinic
Houston, TX • 1-832-548-5000
Legacy Community Health — Montrose
Houston, TX • 1-832-548-5000
Thomas Street Health Center
Houston, TX • 1-713-873-4000
Montrose Center — Houston
Houston, TX • 1-713-529-0037
The Afiya Center — Dallas
Dallas, TX • 1-214-421-2200
Prism Health North Texas — Oak Lawn
Dallas, TX • 1-972-925-9440
Parkland Health — Amelia Court Infectious Diseases Clinic
Dallas, TX • 1-214-590-8000
Resource Center — Dallas
Dallas, TX • 1-214-540-4455
Kind Clinic — San Antonio
San Antonio, TX • 1-833-937-5463
Kind Clinic — Austin South
Austin, TX • 1-833-937-5463
Where to get help in Texas
- Texas HIV info line: 1-800-299-2437 — staff can find the nearest free testing site, schedule PrEP, or help enroll you in ADAP.
- Texas Department of State Health Services, TB/HIV/STD Section landing page: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/hiv-std-program.
- Federally Qualified Health Centers in Texas: every FQHC offers sliding-scale HIV testing and has certified application counselors on staff. See our FQHC directory for the state at /clinics/tx/.
- State health data for Texas: for state-level HIV mortality, maternal health, and life-expectancy context by race, see /health/texas/.
- Texas Medicaid: Medicaid is the largest single payer of HIV care in most states. See /medicaid/texas/ 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
- Texas Department of State Health Services, TB/HIV/STD Section: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/hiv-std-program.
- 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/texas/.
- CDC PrEP guidelines, 2021 update: cdc.gov/hiv/clinicians/prevention/prep.html.
Data refreshed: