Equality Arlington, an LGBTQ+ advocacy nonprofit, applauds Arlington County Public Health Division for launching a program to provide free or low-cost access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infections. Equality Arlington has been working with Arlington County since 2025 to advocate for the Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinic to provide residents with free or low-cost access to PrEP. The county began offering PrEP (generic Truvada) to existing STI and Family Planning clients in May 2026 and officially launched the program to all residents in October 2026.
“We are very excited to see Arlington County’s Public Health Division expand access to PrEP, one of the most effective tools available to prevent HIV; it is 99% effective at preventing HIV infection through sexual contact. Since 2024, the Public Health Division has expanded marketing for its Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) testing services to target at-risk individuals on dating and casual meet-up digital platforms and is now adding access to critical medication to prevent HIV infection. We are grateful to have a Public Health Division in Arlington that understands the importance of preventing STI and HIV infections in our community,” said Kellen MacBeth, President of Equality Arlington.
Arlington averaged approximately 23 new HIV diagnoses a year between 2021 and 2025, according to Virginia Department of Health and county data. That is about 35% fewer than the county averaged between 2015 and 2019. However, federal cuts to HIV prevention and treatment funding now threaten that progress and put Arlington at risk of seeing new infections rise again. Equality Arlington will continue working with Arlington County’s leadership to advance policies that lower HIV infection rates including free access to STI testing and improved accessibility for sexual health services.
Individuals seeking free or low-cost access to PrEP can contact the Arlington Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinic at https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Programs/Health/Public-Health/Health-Clinics-and-Services/STI-Services. All community members are eligible to access Arlington’s PrEP program regardless of where they live, immigration status, or insurance status.
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