Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Rhode Island PrEP Champions

PrEP can help you stay free from HIV. It is important to talk to a healthcare professional to determine if PrEP is right for you. PrEP Champions are Rhode Island clinics that specialize in offering sexual health services and make it easy to obtain PrEP, but you can also ask your primary care provider about PrEP.

What is PrEP?

• PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) can be pills or shots that dramatically reduce your chances of getting HIV through sex or injection drug use.

PrEP protects you against HIV but not against other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). To learn more about all the ways you can prevent HIV and STIs, please see RIDOH's Guide to Safer Sex. RIDOH offers free condoms by mail to any address in Rhode Island.

How to Get PrEP: Rhode Island’s PrEP Champions Network

It’s easier than ever to get PrEP! Rhode Island’s PrEP Champions network lists available PrEP services and has videos of trusted healthcare professionals from sexual health clinics and community health centers in Rhode Island that will help you decide if PrEP is right for you.

Some of these clinics offer low or no cost services and assist in minimizing any out-of-pocket costs associated with your prescription and associated testing. In addition, there are many online telehealth services (such as MISTR, NURX, and Qcare+) that prescribe PrEP and offer medication by mail and may be available at no or low cost. We encourage you to explore any option that works best to meet your needs!

We will be adding additional videos from other PrEP Champions in the near future.

PrEP Champions: Clinics

• Blackstone Valley Community Health Center
  • Pawtucket: 39 East Ave, Pawtucket, RI 02860 and 1145 Main St, Pawtucket, RI 02860
  • Central Falls: 1000 Broad St, Central Falls, RI 02863
  • Phone number: (401) 722-0081
  • Clinic offers same day PrEP.
  • PrEP is available for patients under 18.
  • Sliding scale is available for co-pays if patients don’t have insurance.
• Block Island Health Services
  • New Shoreham: 6 Payne Rd, New Shoreham, RI 02807
  • Phone number: (401) 466-2974
  • PrEP is available for patients under 18.
  • Sliding scale is available for co-pays.

• Care New England Medical Group
  • Pawtucket: 111 Brewster Street, Pawtucket, RI 02860
  • Phone number: (401) 729-2500
  • Clinic offers same day PrEP.
  • Sliding scale is available for co-pays.
  • Patients need to be receiving other services at the clinic to receive PrEP.
• CharterCare Medical Associates
  • Providence: 50 Maude St, 3rd Floor, Providence, RI 02908
  • Phone number: (401) 456-2437
    • Please contact Sandy Restrepo for appointment information only.
  • Clinic offers same day PrEP.
  • Offers services to insured patients only.
• Corliss St. Clinic (formerly known as the Miriam STI Clinic)
  • Providence: 180 Corliss St, Providence, RI 02904
  • Phone number: (401) 793-4715
    • Please call the main number and speak with their nurses.
  • Clinic offers same day PrEP.
  • PrEP is available for patients under 18.
  • Financial assistance is offered if needed, on a case-by-base basis.

• Hasbro Adolescent Health Center
  • Providence: 1 Hoppin Street, Suite 3055, Providence, RI 02903
  • Phone number: (401) 444-5980
  • Clinic offers same day PrEP.
  • PrEP is available for patients under 18. Care is available to youth up to the age of 22.
• The Medicine Pediatrics Primary Care Center
  • Providence: 245 Chapman Street, #100, Providence RI 02905
  • Phone Number: (401) 444-6118
  • Clinic offers same day PrEP.
  • Clinic offers sliding scales for co-pays.
  • PrEP is available for patients under 18.
  • PrEP is a service for active patients. Patients need to be seen at the clinic for ongoing primary care.

• Open Door Health
  • Providence: 7 Central St, Providence, RI 02907
  • Phone number: (401) 648-4700
  • Clinic offers same day PrEP.
  • PrEP is available for patients under 18 on case-by-case bais.
  • Sliding scale is available for co-pays.
  • Call and ask about PrEP for an expedited appointment.

• Planned Parenthood of Southern New England
  • Providence: 175 Broad St, Providence, RI 02903
  • Phone number: (800) 230-7526
  • Clinic offers same day PrEP.
  • PrEP is available for patients under 18.
  • Sliding scale is available for co-pays. PPSNE has a navigator who helps with manufacturer assistance programs.
  • Accepts patients with no insurance (financial assistance available).
• Providence Community Health Centers
  • Providence: 355 Prairie Avenue, Providence RI 02905 and 31 Atwood Street, Providence RI 02909
  • Phone number: (401) 415-9000
    • Call the site directly; Diane Kerfoot can assist.
  • PrEP is available for patients under 18.
  • Sliding scale is available for co-pays. PCHC assists patients in applying for patient assistance through the drug manufacturer, as well as work with local pharmacies to cover costs as needed.
• Thundermist Health Center
  • Wakefield/South County: South County, 1 River Street Wakefield, RI 02879
  • West Warwick: 186 Providence Street, West Warwick, RI 02893
  • Woonsocket: 450 Clinton Street, Woonsocket, RI 02895
  • Phone number: (401) 235-6898 (all locations)
  • Clinic offers same day PrEP.
  • Sliding scale is available for co-pays.
• Tri-County Community Action
  • Johnston: 1126 Hartford Ave, Johnston, RI 02919
  • North Providence: 33 Maple Ave, North Providence, RI 02911
  • Phone number: (401) 519-1940
  • Clinic offers same day PrEP.
  • Sliding scale is available for co-pays.

• Veterans Affairs Medical Center
  • Providence: 830 Chalkstone Ave, Providence, RI 02908
  • Phone number: (401) 273-7100 Ext 12251
    • You can also call Jennifer Hopgood (401) 273-7100 Ext 15040
  • Clinic offers same day PrEP.
  • Sliding scale is available for co-pays. PrEP is covered for all veterans nationally under their existing health benefits.
  • Services are available for enrolled veterans.
• Wood River Health
  • Hope Valley: 823 Main St, Hope Valley, RI 02832
  • Westerly: 11 Wells St, Westerly, RI 02891
  • Phone number: (401) 539-2461
  • Clinic offers same day PrEP.
  • PrEP is available for patients under 18.
  • Sliding scale is available for co-pays. Other patient assistance programs are available.

Please note: A list of additional clinics offering sexual health services in Rhode Island, as well as information about healthcare rights and privacy in Rhode Island may be found on the RIght To Know web app. RIDOH does not endorse any healthcare clinics or healthcare professionals, but is providing this information as a resource.

If you are currently a student at a Rhode Island college/university, reach out to your Student Health Services. If you have additional questions about finding PrEP on your campus, please reach out to RIDOH at (401) 222-2577.

If you are a clinician interested in joining the PrEP Champions Network, please reach out to RIDOH’s HIV Prevention Manager.

Is PrEP right for you?

PrEP is medicine that when taken as prescribed dramatically reduces your chances of getting HIV from sex or injection drug use. For more information, please see the "Let's Talk About PrEP" video.

Let's Talk About PrEP - Greater Than HIV

Real people share their experiences with PrEP, why they are taking the pill or long acting injectable to prevent HIV, and how it has helped them take charge of their health. This series of videos is available in English and Spanish:

• Let's Talk About PrEP - Greater Than HIV (English)
• Let's Talk About PrEP - Greater Than HIV (Spanish)

Visit a Healthcare Professional

• To find out if PrEP is right for you.
• As recommended for follow-up visits, HIV tests, and prescription refills or PrEP injections (shots).
• If you have any side effects while taking PrEP that become severe or don’t go away.
• If you don’t have a provider, see the information above or visit preplocator.org.

How do I pay for PrEP?

We know that cost is a concern for many people seeking PrEP. There is good news that many health insurance plans fully cover its cost and many healthcare professionals provide patient financial assistance programs, as well as sliding fee scales (paying what you can based on your income) for those without health insurance. Check with your healthcare professionals and/or health insurance plan at your first appointment.

• Co-pay assistance programs help lower the costs of PrEP medications. Income is not a factor in eligibility.
• ViiVConnect offers a program to help patients pay for injectable PrEP (shots). Learn more at viivconnect.com.

If you don’t have insurance, consider enrolling in an insurance marketplace, PrEP assistance program, or your state’s Medicaid plan, if you are eligible.