Harris County Public Health Launches New Era of HIV Treatment, Prevention and Care
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By Ryann Swift on November 17, 2025
Treatment As Prevention Towards a Future of Zero Transmission
We’ve come a long way from the early days of HIV. Today, people living with HIV enjoy longer, healthier lives, thanks in part to new treatments and better healthcare. These successful treatments have opened the door for a new approach to HIV: Treatment as Prevention (TasP).
Harris County Public Health is supporting this shift with a new HIV-dedicated website, END HIV Harris County, where anyone can find an HCPH clinic and receive judgment-free HIV care, no matter your status, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
TasP can help those infected thrive with treatment, while education about TasP can help dispel the myths about living with HIV. This is integral for promoting both testing for HIV and safe sex practice.
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In Harris County, we all have a part to play to get to zero transmission and end HIV. If you don’t know your status, get tested for free. If you’re living with HIV, know that treatment and support are available. For all of us, make HIV and STI education part of adult healthcare to end any stigma. For everything HIV care-related, HCPH is there for you. Visit endhiv.harriscountytx.gov to learn more.
“Everyone deserves to be healthy and informed, and we're here to help—no matter your HIV status,” Dr. Brown emphasizes. “We’re in this together!”
What You Can Do to ENDHIV
Learn more about HCPH’s judgment-free HIV care
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Sponsored by Harris County Public Health
Treatment as Prevention means treating a person living with HIV to achieve viral
suppression and an undetectable level of disease. This, in turn, stops the spread of disease to
others while allowing those infected to lead long and healthy lives. The goal of TasP is to eventually reach zero transmission of HIV.
“HIV is a non-discriminatory disease,” says Dr. Ericka Brown, MD, MBA, FACHE, Division Director for Community Health and Wellness Division (CHWD) and Local Health Authority (LHA) at Harris County Public Health. “TasP can help those infected thrive with treatment, while education about TasP can help dispel the myths about living with HIV. This is integral for promoting both testing for HIV and safe sex practice.”
As improved treatments have changed HIV from a near-death sentence to a chronic condition that, when properly managed, doesn’t prevent those living with the disease from having a quality life, it’s time to reconsider how we think about HIV. The Treatment as Prevention approach is now part of a person’s holistic health, putting HIV in the same conversation as other chronic conditions that affect Harris County residents, like hypertension and diabetes.
Texas is home to world-renowned healthcare. Here in Harris County, we benefit from the Texas Medical Center and universities like Baylor and UT. However, despite our leading healthcare presence, treatment for our most vulnerable populations—minorities who have the highest rates of new diagnoses—has lagged, resulting in an increase in new transmissions.
Between 2016 and 2022, Harris County consistently had higher rates of people living with HIV and new HIV diagnoses compared to the rest of the state, according to HCPH’s HIV and STI Report. While HIV does not discriminate—anyone can contract the virus—certain groups are more vulnerable than others based on factors like access and the social determinants of health. Both the rate of people living with HIV and the rate of new diagnoses of HIV were consistently highest in the Multiracial and Black communities compared to all other racial and ethnic groups, with more than five reported cases per year.
Harris County Public Health recognizes the need for better access to treatment and education for our most vulnerable populations, says Dr. Brown. HCPH is part of an all-out effort by Ending the HIV Endemic (EHE) and EHE-funded clinics to help better provide the services and knowledge we need to reduce transmissions and increase TasP in communities across the county. “HCPH offers prevention outreach and education as well as free barrier methods of protection. We also offer free HIV testing and Rapid Start for those with a positive diagnosis. In addition, we offer free PrEP for those who meet the criteria.”
What to Know about HIV in Harris County
What to Know about HIV in Harris County
What You Can Do to ENDHIV
Treatment as Prevention relies on testing, treatment, and education. HCPH offers all three through its comprehensive HIV/STI Prevention Program. The program provides free HIV/STI testing, counseling, education, and outreach, serving all community members, including the LGBTQ+ population.
The End HIV Harris County website is now Harris County’s centralized hub for HIV care. Anyone can visit and learn how to protect themselves, where they can learn their status confidentially and for free, and for those living with HIV or newly diagnosed, start the treatment they need to live with an undetectable level of the virus that cannot be transmitted to others as part of the Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) campaign.
Key TasP services highlighted at ENDHIV Harris County include Treatment:
PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis): A daily pill that helps prevent HIV for those at risk.
PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis): Emergency medication for people who may have been exposed to HIV, available within 72 hours of exposure.
Education & Outreach: Community programs, safer sex resources, and counseling to promote HIV awareness and risk reduction.
Free Condoms & Prevention Materials: Available at our clinic and through outreach events.
HIV Services Are Available from Harris County Public Health
And Testing Services so you can confidently know your status and help reduce transmission rates in your community:
Free & Confidential HIV/STI Testing: Available at the Antoine Clinic (5815 Antoine Dr.) —walk-ins welcome! Call (832) 927-7350 to schedule an appointment today.
Testing123 Mobile Testing: If you can’t make it to our clinic, our mobile testing service offers free HIV and syphilis tests at your preferred location in both Harris County and Montgomery County. Text (281) 962-8378 to schedule.
Rapid HIV Testing: Quick and accurate results in as little as 60 seconds.
Comprehensive STI Screenings: Testing for syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and other sexually transmitted infections.
For more clinic options in your area, visit the Additional Resources page.
Prevention Services:
Linkage to Care Program: Connects individuals to HIV treatment within 30 days of diagnosis.
Medical Treatment & Case Management: Assistance with finding healthcare providers, medications, and ongoing care.
Support Services: Housing assistance, mental health referrals, transportation support, and other essential resources.
Along with in-house services, HCPH is proud to partner with other local health organizations to provide comprehensive care for HIV across Harris County.
Allies in Hope
Harris County Public Health – Antoine Clinic
Saint Hope Foundation
Aids Healthcare Foundation
Avenue 360 Health & Wellness
Bee Busy Wellness Center
The Montrose Center
Legacy Community Health
Harris Health System
5815 Antoine Dr, Houston, TX 77091
Harris County Public Health – Antoine Clinic
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6260 Westpark Dr, Suite 100 Houston, TX 77057
Allies in Hope
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1200 Binz St. Suite 1040, Houston, TX 77004
Aids Healthcare Foundation
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2150 West 18th Street, Suite 300, Houston, TX 77008
Avenue 360 Health & Wellness
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8785 W Bellfort St, Houston, TX 77031
Bee Busy Wellness Center
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3601 N Macgregor Way, Houston, TX 77004
Harris Health System
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1415 California St., Houston, TX 77006
Legacy Community Health
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6200 Savoy, Suite 540, Houston, TX 77036
Saint Hope Foundation
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401 Branard, 2nd Floor Houston, TX 77006
The Montrose Center
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Houston Health Department
Houston Food Bank
8000 N Stadium Dr, Houston, TX 77054
Houston Health Department
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535 Portwall St, Houston, TX 77029
Houston Food Bank
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AccessHealth
1260 Pin Oak Suite 110, Katy, TX 77494
AccessHealth
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We’ve come a long way from the early days of HIV. Today, people living with HIV enjoy longer, healthier lives, thanks in part to new treatments and better healthcare. These successful treatments have opened the door for a new approach to HIV: Treatment as Prevention (TasP).
Harris County Public Health is supporting this shift with a new HIV-dedicated website, END HIV Harris County, where anyone can find an HCPH clinic and receive judgment-free HIV care, no matter your status, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
HIV Services Are Available from Harris County Public Health