Get PrEP: Cheap, Easy and Safe Ways to Get It

If you’re at risk of HIV through drug needles or sex, a medicine called PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) could help you. It’s a safe way to prevent HIV from spreading through your body. PrEP requires a prescription, but there are many easy, safe, and cheap ways to get it. Here’s what you need to know.

PrEP is free through most health plans and state Medicaid programs. You won’t pay for the drug, follow-up doctor visits, or extra tests, including the HIV tests you’ll need every 2-3 months. Call the number on the back of your health plan card to see if PrEP is covered for you.

If you’re not insured, or if your insurance doesn’t cover PrEP, you can get it for free through the federal program Ready, Set, PrEP. Once a doctor prescribes it, you apply online, by phone at 855-447-8410, or through a form that you print out and have your doctor submit for you. A lot of states also have their own programs that help pay for PrEP, although you may have to get your prescription from a certain doctor or clinic.

The companies that make PrEP sometimes help out with its cost. Apply at either the Advancing Access program or ViiVConnect to find out if you qualify for a discount or if you can get PrEP free of charge.

You don’t need to see a special HIV doctor to get PrEP. Any doctor of medicine (MD) or doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) can prescribe it to you. So can a physician assistant (PA) or nurse practitioner (NP). Ask any health care provider that you see on a regular basis about PrEP.

If you don’t have a personal doctor, you may be able to get PrEP at a free or low-cost clinic in your area. Look into local Planned Parenthood clinics and the health centers run by your town, city, county, or state health department. Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) can prescribe PrEP, too. Find a Health Center is an online tool to help you find a clinic in your area. 

PrEP is often available at ERs or urgent care clinics. The hospital may have its own PrEP program, where you’ll keep seeing the provider who prescribed you PrEP while you take it. Or you may have to follow up with a primary care doctor on your own for monitoring and refills.  

The HIV Services Locator can point you toward a PrEP provider in your area.

Most states allow you to get PrEP from an online service. After a phone call, chat, or video visit, a doctor prescribes it to you. You’ll complete an at-home HIV test kit or get bloodwork done at a local lab before you can fill your prescription. A telehealth (or “telePrEP”) service can be a great option if it’s hard to get to a clinic.

Nonprofit groups that help people with HIV and HIV prevention sometimes offer PrEP services or can at least connect you with a service. For instance, if you live in the San Francisco area, you can get PrEP from the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

A friend or hookup might offer to share their PrEP with you, but that could hurt you both. You need tests before you start PrEP. And after you start, you need regular follow-up visits with a doctor to make sure it’s safe for you. Also, for PrEP to protect against HIV, you have to take every dose. So, if your friend gives you PrEP, that means they might not be taking it as they should.

PrEP is a really safe way to protect yourself from HIV, but not everyone knows about it or can get it. Only 14% of PrEP users are Black and 17% are Hispanic. People who aren’t insured, don’t speak English well, or weren’t born in the U.S. are also less likely to know about or use PrEP. You can do your part by talking about it with your partners and friends. Spreading the word about PrEP is a great way to stop the spread of HIV.