This page is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you whether you have an infection. A clinician can, and the testing options on this site are a good place to start.

PrEP is a prevention medicine that lowers the chance of getting HIV. In Dallas, a clinician prescribes it after a short visit and a few lab tests. Some local clinics offer it at low or no cost, and many insurance plans cover it.

This guide explains what PrEP is, who it is meant for, the types available, how to get PrEP in Dallas step by step, and what HIV PrEP cost looks like. It also covers follow-up care and the Texas rules that matter.

Key takeaways

PrEP stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis. It is medicine taken by people who do not have HIV to lower their chance of getting it.
The CDC says daily oral PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99 percent when taken as prescribed.
A clinician prescribes PrEP. The first step is an HIV test, plus a few other lab tests.
Dallas County Health and Human Services lists PrEP (a daily pill or an injection every two months) at its Sexual Health Clinic. Several community clinics also offer it.
Under the Affordable Care Act, most private plans must cover PrEP and related visits without cost sharing, because the USPSTF gives PrEP an A grade.
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) names no state-run PrEP assistance program. Clinics and manufacturer programs fill much of that gap.
PrEP does not protect against other STIs. Regular STI testing is part of PrEP care.

In this guide

What PrEP is and who it is for
Types of PrEP: daily pill, on-demand and injections
How to get PrEP in Dallas
What the visit and lab tests involve
HIV PrEP cost and insurance coverage
Staying on PrEP: follow-up, STI testing and related tools
Dallas context, minors and common questions

What PrEP Is and Who It Is For

PrEP is short for pre-exposure prophylaxis. It is a prescription medicine for people who do not have HIV. It works by keeping the virus from establishing itself in the body if exposure happens.

PrEP for HIV prevention is a treatment-grade tool, but it is not a treatment for HIV. People who already have HIV take different medicine, which a clinician prescribes as HIV treatment. HIV is not curable, but the CDC says it is treatable, and people on effective treatment can stay healthy.

How well PrEP works

The CDC says daily oral PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99 percent when it is taken as prescribed. For people who inject drugs, the CDC says the risk drops by at least 74 percent. The key phrase is “as prescribed.” Protection depends on taking the medicine consistently and keeping follow-up visits.

Who the CDC says PrEP is for

The CDC recommends that clinicians talk about PrEP with every sexually active adult and adolescent. It describes PrEP as especially useful for people who:

Have a partner with HIV, particularly if that partner is not on effective treatment or has a detectable viral load.
Have had a bacterial STI, such as syphilis, gonorrhea or chlamydia, in the past six months.
Have anal or vaginal sex with partners whose HIV status they do not know, or without condoms.
Inject drugs and share needles or other equipment, or have a partner who does.
Have sex in settings where exchange for money, housing or other needs is involved.

PrEP is for people of every gender and orientation. Gay and bisexual men, straight couples, trans and nonbinary people, and people who inject drugs all appear in CDC guidance. Wanting extra peace of mind is also a reasonable reason to ask a clinician about it. The decision is made together with a clinician, based on your own situation.

What PrEP does not do

PrEP lowers the chance of getting HIV. It does not prevent chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, HPV or trichomoniasis. Condoms, vaccines and regular testing still matter. Later in this guide we cover how STI testing fits into PrEP care.

Types of PrEP: Daily Pill, On-Demand and Injections

Right now there are three ways PrEP is discussed in CDC guidance and in Dallas clinics. Which one fits depends on your body, your routine, your health history and what a clinician recommends.

Daily oral PrEP

This is the most widely used form. It is a pill taken every day, prescribed by a clinician. The CDC says oral PrEP reaches high protection after a period of consistent use, and the time to reach protection can differ for different kinds of sex. A clinician can tell you what applies to you.

Daily oral PrEP is a good fit for many people because it is familiar and widely available. It does need a steady routine. Missed doses lower protection.

On-demand PrEP (often called 2-1-1)

On-demand PrEP means taking the medicine around the time of sex rather than every day. It is often called 2-1-1 because of the timing pattern. The CDC describes it as not approved by the FDA for HIV prevention. Studies on it were done in men who have sex with men, and the evidence does not support it for other groups.

Because of that, on-demand PrEP is something to discuss with a clinician who knows your situation. It should not be started on your own. If a clinician considers it, they will explain the exact plan. This guide does not give schedules or pill counts.

Injectable PrEP

Injectable PrEP is given by a clinician rather than taken as a pill. Dallas County Health and Human Services says its Sexual Health Clinic offers PrEP as either a daily pill or an injection every two months. This option can suit people who find a daily pill hard to keep up with.

The FDA also approved a longer-acting injection that is given twice a year, and the CDC has issued guidance on it. Not every clinic has every option, so ask each clinic what it currently offers and whether insurance or assistance programs cover it.

Choosing between them

Questions to bring to the visit:

Would a daily pill, an injection or another plan fit my routine best?
Do I have any kidney, liver or bone health concerns that affect the choice?
Do I take other medicines that a clinician should review?
Is the injection offered here, and how is it covered?
What happens if I want to stop or switch?

How to Get PrEP in Dallas

Many people ask how to get PrEP and expect a complicated process. In practice it is a few steps with a clinician.

Choose a clinic or provider. Options include a public health clinic, a community health center, your own primary care clinician or a specialty clinic.
Call and ask about PrEP. Ask whether they prescribe it, whether you need an appointment and what the first visit costs.
Get tested. You need an HIV test before you start, and other lab tests.
Talk with the clinician. They review your health history and which form of PrEP suits you.
Start and follow up. You return for regular check-ins and testing while on PrEP.

A prescription can sometimes start the same day or soon after results come back. The timing depends on the clinic and the lab tests.

PrEP clinics and programs in Dallas

Here is what Dallas providers publish. Details like hours and prices can change, so confirm by phone before you go.

Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) Sexual Health Clinic. Located at 2377 N. Stemmons Freeway, 1st Floor, Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75207. The phone number is (214) 819-1819. The county page lists PrEP (a daily pill or an injection every two months) and PEP for people exposed to HIV. Appointments are required, and same-day or next-day appointments are offered. Hours listed are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The phone line opens at 7:45 a.m. The clinic closes at 3:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The county page lists no fees, and the CDC GetTested listing says PrEP is available for uninsured people and Medicaid is accepted. Contact the clinic about eligibility.

Resource Center PrEP Care Program. Resource Center is a Dallas LGBTQ+ community center, and its health services are at 2603 Inwood Rd., Dallas, TX 75235. The program says it offers PrEP and PEP prescriptions. Call 214.540.4469 (se habla español). Its testing page asks people to request an appointment online. It does not state a PrEP price, so ask when you call.

Prism Health North Texas. The Oak Lawn Health Center is at 2801 Lemmon Ave, Suite 200, Dallas, TX 75204, phone 214-521-5191. Prism lists PrEP as a service. It says it uses sliding fee rates based on household income and size, accepts Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP and most private insurance, and does not deny care based on ability to pay. It also lists locations in Oak Cliff, South Dallas, Uptown and Worth Street, all using the same phone number. Prism says appointments should be scheduled in advance.

Parkland Health, Southeast Dallas Health Center. Located at 9202 Elam Rd, Dallas, TX 75217, phone (214) 266-1600. The CDC GetTested listing says Parkland offers PrEP navigation, a free HIV test, and accepts insurance, Medicaid and a sliding scale.

AHF Healthcare Center, Dallas. Located at 7777 Forest Ln Ste B 122, Dallas, TX 75230, phone (972) 383-1060. The CDC GetTested listing says it offers PrEP navigation, uses a sliding scale and does not require an appointment.

Neighborhood Medical Center. Located at 5917 Belt Line Rd, Dallas, TX 75254, phone (972) 726-6464. The Texas DSHS PrEP directory lists it as a PrEP provider. The CDC GetTested listing says insurance is accepted, a sliding scale is available and no appointment is required.

Children's Health Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine Clinic. Located at 2350 N Stemmons Fwy, Ste F5200, Dallas, TX 75207, phone (214) 456-9099. The clinic lists adolescent PrEP. Its page says a parent or guardian must give general consent for a minor to be treated in the clinic.

The Texas DSHS PrEP directory lists 22 PrEP providers in Dallas. Besides those above, it includes Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas at 9100 N Central Expwy, 214-368-1485. You can browse the full directory on the DSHS PrEP providers page. The CDC's GetTested locator can also help you compare options.

What the Visit and Lab Tests Involve

The first PrEP visit is usually a conversation plus a blood test and sometimes other samples. Knowing what to expect makes it easier to book.

The conversation

A clinician asks about your health history, medicines, and your reasons for wanting PrEP. They may ask about sex, partners and drug use. These questions are routine and nonjudgmental, and they are there to pick the safest plan. You can ask your own questions at any point.

Lab tests before starting

CDC guidance for PrEP calls for these checks:

An HIV test. PrEP is for people who do not have HIV, so testing comes first.
Kidney function. Some PrEP medicines are processed by the kidneys, so a clinician checks them.
Hepatitis B. A clinician checks for hepatitis B because some PrEP medicines also affect it. Hepatitis C testing may be added, too.
STI screening. Depending on the kind of sex you have, a clinician may test for syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia at the throat, genital or rectal sites.
Pregnancy test, if it applies to you.

Why the HIV test timing matters

No HIV test can see a very recent infection right away. The CDC gives these window periods: a nucleic acid test can usually detect HIV 10 to 33 days after exposure. An antigen/antibody test on blood drawn from a vein can detect it 18 to 45 days after exposure. Tests using a finger stick, and antibody tests, take longer, around 18 to 90 days. A clinician uses your recent exposures to decide which test to use and whether to repeat it.

If you had a recent possible exposure, tell the clinician. The CDC describes a separate option called PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) that must start within 72 hours. We cover it in the next sections.

Getting started

If the tests and conversation fit, the clinician prescribes PrEP. They explain how and when to take it, which side effects to watch for, and when to come back. The CDC notes that most people have no side effects or only mild, short-lived ones, but you should report anything that worries you.

HIV PrEP Cost and Insurance Coverage

HIV PrEP cost is the question most people ask next. The honest answer is that it depends on your insurance, your income and the clinic. Costs have three parts: the medicine, the clinic visits, and the lab tests.

If you have private insurance

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) gives PrEP an A grade for people at increased risk of HIV. Under the Affordable Care Act, most private plans must cover services with an A or B grade without cost sharing. That includes PrEP medicine and the related HIV testing, kidney tests and follow-up visits. Plan details differ, and grandfathered plans have different rules. Check with your insurer or ask the clinic's billing staff before the first visit.

If you have Medicaid

The DCHHS CDC GetTested listing says Medicaid is accepted. Prism Health North Texas also lists Medicaid, Medicare and CHIP. Ask each clinic what your plan covers.

If you are uninsured or underinsured

The Texas DSHS names no state-run PrEP assistance program. Its PrEP page says PrEP is free for many insured people, that manufacturer and other programs help people who are uninsured or underinsured, and that PrEP navigators work across Texas. DSHS also states that its HIV/STD funds cannot buy PrEP medicines. That is why local clinics and navigators matter.

In Dallas, you can ask about these routes:

The Dallas County Sexual Health Clinic: the CDC GetTested listing says PrEP is available for uninsured people. Call (214) 819-1819 about eligibility.
Prism Health North Texas: sliding fee rates based on household income and size.
Parkland, AHF and Neighborhood Medical Center: sliding scale and PrEP navigation or PrEP services listed in their directory entries.
Resource Center: PrEP Care Program at 214.540.4469.

What Dallas clinics publish about prices

Prices for the medicine itself are rarely posted. Here is what is published for related services. Resource Center lists a confidential rapid HIV antibody test, an RNA early HIV test and a syphilis test as free. It lists gonorrhea and chlamydia testing as free with a $40 office visit. It lists an anonymous HIV antibody screening at $90 and a hepatitis A, B and C panel at $100. Its page does not mention a sliding scale or insurance. The county Sexual Health Clinic page lists no fees. If a clinic's page does not list a price, ask by phone before the visit.

Questions to ask about cost

What is the visit fee, and does it change with income?
Are the baseline and follow-up lab tests included?
Does the clinic help with manufacturer or other assistance programs?
Can a navigator help me check my coverage?

Cost should not stop you from asking. Clinics often have staff whose job is to find a workable option.

Staying on PrEP: Follow-Up, STI Testing and Related Tools

PrEP works best as ongoing care, not a one-time prescription.

Follow-up visits

CDC guidance calls for regular visits while on PrEP. For oral PrEP, that is typically every three months, with an HIV test each time and a prescription refill. Injectable PrEP follows a different schedule set by the clinic, with HIV testing at visits. Kidney checks and other labs happen at set intervals. The clinician tells you the plan that fits your medicine.

STI testing while on PrEP

PrEP does not stop other infections, so STI screening is a routine part of PrEP care. Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis are curable with treatment from a clinician. Early testing and treatment protect your health and your partners'. HPV and herpes are not curable but are manageable, and HPV has a vaccine a clinician can discuss.

Our local list of STD testing in Dallas and what it costs helps you find free and low-cost options for the screening that goes with PrEP.

PEP after a possible exposure

PEP stands for post-exposure prophylaxis. The CDC says it should start within 72 hours of a possible HIV exposure, so earlier is better. It is a clinician-prescribed course, and it is different from PrEP. The DCHHS Sexual Health Clinic and Resource Center both list PEP. The county page calls it nPEP. If the exposure was within the past three days, call a clinic or an emergency department right away.

Doxy-PEP

In 2024 the CDC issued guidance on doxycycline taken after sex to lower the chance of certain bacterial STIs, known as doxy-PEP. The CDC recommends clinicians discuss it with some gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, and transgender women, who have had a bacterial STI in the past year. It is a separate tool from PrEP. The DCHHS page does not list doxy-PEP, so ask your own clinician whether it applies to you.

If you want to stop or pause

Tell your clinician. They can explain how to stop safely, what protection continues for a time and when to test again. You can restart later with a new HIV test and check-in.

Dallas Context, Minors and Common Questions

Why PrEP matters in Dallas

The CDC's HIV surveillance tables for 2024 report 898 new HIV diagnoses in Dallas County, a rate of 41.0 per 100,000 people aged 13 and older. Texas DSHS also reports that Dallas County had 22,073 chlamydia cases in 2022 (848.7 per 100,000), compared with a statewide rate of 519.9 per 100,000 that year. Gonorrhea was 411.3 per 100,000 in the county and 207.0 statewide, also from DSHS 2022 data. These numbers do not describe any one person. They explain why regular testing and prevention tools are common conversations in Dallas clinics.

Free testing options that pair with PrEP

The Texas DSHS lists Test for Texas, a free mailed at-home self-testing kit for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. It is open to anyone in Texas aged 13 or older, with no insurance needed. You can order at testfortexas.org. See the DSHS page on free at-home testing. The CDC-funded Together TakeMeHome program mails free HIV self-tests to people 17 and older in the US who have not been diagnosed with HIV. A self-test is a screening step. A clinician still confirms results and handles PrEP.

Can a teen get PrEP in Texas?

Texas Family Code Section 32.003 lets a minor of any age consent to diagnosis and treatment of a reportable infectious disease. DSHS says this includes HIV. The statute does not require parental consent for that care. It also allows a physician to tell a parent or guardian, with or without the minor's consent, so a provider cannot promise a parent will never be told. The law covers diagnosis and treatment, and the sources do not say whether it extends to PrEP. Ask the clinic directly. The Children's Health clinic says a parent or guardian must give general consent for a minor to be treated there.

Will my partner be able to get treatment, too?

If a bacterial STI is found, Texas allows expedited partner therapy. The CDC's Texas legal summary says a physician can prescribe medicine for partners of an established patient without a separate visit. Pharmacists may dispense it as well. Ask your clinician whether it fits your situation.

Is my care confidential?

Clinics treat your records as private health information. Texas also requires labs and clinicians to report certain infections to health authorities. Texas DSHS lists chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV among reportable conditions. Reporting goes to public health departments to track disease, not to the public. If you have concerns, ask the clinic how your information is handled.

Common questions

Do I need a regular doctor? No. Public health clinics and community health centers prescribe PrEP, too.

Can I take PrEP while pregnant or planning pregnancy? Talk with a clinician. The CDC has guidance for PrEP during conception, pregnancy and breastfeeding.

How long do I take PrEP? As long as it fits your life and a clinician agrees you would benefit.

Is PrEP safe? The CDC says it is well tolerated by most people, with regular lab checks. A clinician reviews your health to choose the right type.

Your next step

If you are ready, call the DCHHS Sexual Health Clinic at (214) 819-1819, Resource Center's PrEP Care Program at 214.540.4469 or Prism Health North Texas at 214-521-5191. Ask about PrEP, the cost, and what to bring. Getting tested for HIV and other STIs is the first step, and free or low-cost testing is available in Dallas. Browse the CDC's GetTested locator for more places.

PrEP in Dallas: How to Get It, What It Costs and Who It Is For