What to Expect During Your PrEP Follow-Up?

Last Updated: October 24, 2026

Quick Summary

A PrEP follow-up is a routine visit every 3 months for the daily pill or every 2 to 6 months for injections, where you get an HIV test, STI screening, and kidney function labs to stay protected and catch any health changes early.

• Oral PrEP requires a follow-up visit every 3 months; cabotegravir injections every 2 months; lenacapavir injections every 6 months.
• Every visit includes an HIV rapid test, syphilis and chlamydia/gonorrhea screening, and kidney function labs.
• Missing an injection by more than about a month may require restarting the series.
• Bring a photo ID, insurance card if you have one, and a list of any new medications or questions.
• Book your next appointment before you leave the clinic to stay on schedule.

Table of Contents

• Why PrEP Follow-Up Matters
• PrEP Monitoring Schedule: How Often You Return
• PrEP Follow-Up Tests You'll Receive
  • The test schedule at a glance
  • Why each test matters
  • What changes if a result is positive or unclear
• Injectable PrEP Follow-Up Schedule and What Differs
• What to Bring to a PrEP Appointment
  • What to bring
  • Step by step: what happens during the visit
  • After the visit
  • If you're coming to a partner clinic
• Preparing for Your Visit: Questions to Ask
• Book Your Next PrEP Follow-Up in Miami-Dade or Broward
• Frequently Asked Questions

Why PrEP Follow-Up Matters

Your PrEP follow-up appointments are not optional check-ins. They're the backbone of staying protected.

PrEP works by keeping HIV medication in your system at levels high enough to block the virus if you're exposed.

Follow-up visits serve three core purposes:

• Confirm you're still HIV-negative
• Screen for other sexually transmitted infections
• Check that PrEP is not harming your kidneys or liver

According to AIDSVu's 2024 PrEP use data, adults ages 25-34 made up 37% of PrEP users in the United States.

This is health information, not medical advice. Talk with a clinician about your specific situation. Call 911 for emergencies.

PrEP Monitoring Schedule: How Often You Return

Your PrEP follow-up schedule depends on which form you're taking: the daily pill or the long-acting injection.

Oral PrEP (daily pill):

• First follow-up: 3 months after starting
• Then: every 3 months, ongoing

Long-acting injectable PrEP:

• First follow-up: 2 months after your second starter dose
• Then: every 2 months for cabotegravir injections, or every 6 months for lenacapavir
• If you miss an injection by more than about a month, you may need to restart the series

The rhythm matters because it keeps your protection consistent. Missing a 3-month pill visit by a few weeks is risky, and missing an injection by more than a month can leave you unprotected.

• Daily pill: First Follow-Up: 3 months; Ongoing Schedule: Every 3 months; Why This Timing: Medication levels and kidney function
• Cabotegravir injection: First Follow-Up: 2 months after dose 2; Ongoing Schedule: Every 2 months; Why This Timing: Injection effectiveness and labs
• Lenacapavir injection: First Follow-Up: After lead-in period; Ongoing Schedule: Every 6 months; Why This Timing: Long-acting coverage window

At our partner clinics across Miami-Dade and Broward, walk-ins are welcome and same-day results are standard.

PrEP Follow-Up Tests You'll Receive

Here is which test happens at which visit, and why.

Key Takeaway
Quick answer: Every PrEP follow-up includes an HIV test and an STI screen. Kidney labs are routine for the daily pill. Hepatitis B and C are checked at baseline and repeated only when your clinician thinks they're needed.

The test schedule at a glance

• HIV (rapid + lab 4th-generation): Baseline (before you start): Yes, within 7 days of starting; Every 3-month pill visit: Yes; Injection visits: Yes, at each injection visit; Repeated when: Every visit
• Syphilis: Baseline (before you start): Yes; Every 3-month pill visit: Yes; Injection visits: Yes; Repeated when: Every visit
• Chlamydia and gonorrhea (urine or swab): Baseline (before you start): Yes; Every 3-month pill visit: Yes; Injection visits: Yes; Repeated when: Every visit, or sooner with symptoms or a new exposure
• Trichomoniasis: Baseline (before you start): Often; Every 3-month pill visit: Situational; Injection visits: Situational; Repeated when: If symptoms or clinician judgment
• Kidney function (creatinine): Baseline (before you start): Yes; Every 3-month pill visit: Yes; Injection visits: Yes; Repeated when: Every visit for the pill; per clinician for injections
• Hepatitis B: Baseline (before you start): Yes; Every 3-month pill visit: No; Injection visits: No; Repeated when: If not immune, if symptoms, or per clinician
• Hepatitis C: Baseline (before you start): Yes; Every 3-month pill visit: Situational; Injection visits: Situational; Repeated when: If risk factors or clinician judgment
• Pregnancy test: Baseline (before you start): Where relevant; Every 3-month pill visit: Where relevant; Injection visits: Where relevant; Repeated when: Per clinician
• HSV and HPV: Baseline (before you start): Situational; Every 3-month pill visit: Situational; Injection visits: Situational; Repeated when: Only if symptoms or screening is due

Why each test matters

HIV test. This is the one test you never skip.

STI screening. Syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea are checked at every follow-up because they often have no symptoms.

Kidney function. The daily pill is processed by your kidneys, so creatinine is checked at baseline and at routine visits.

Hepatitis B and C. Hepatitis B status shapes your care plan, because some PrEP medications also treat hepatitis B.

What changes if a result is positive or unclear

• A reactive rapid HIV test is not a diagnosis until lab confirmation. Your clinician will explain next steps and connect you to care.
• A positive STI result usually means treatment plus a follow-up test to confirm the infection cleared.
• An unclear result may mean a repeat draw. Ask when to come back.

You can learn more about PrEP eligibility and lab requirements to see what baseline testing looks like before you start. At our partner clinics in Miami-Dade and Broward, same-day results are standard, and results go to your patient portal, not by text.

Injectable PrEP Follow-Up Schedule and What Differs

If you're on injectable PrEP, your follow-up rhythm is different from the daily pill, and staying on schedule is critical.

Cabotegravir (every 2 months): After two starter doses given one month apart, you return every 2 months for your injection. Missing this by more than about a month can mean restarting the series. The injection is fast, just one needle in the muscle.

Lenacapavir (every 6 months): After a lead-in period, you get injected every 6 months. The extended interval means fewer clinic visits, but you still need routine labs and HIV testing at each appointment.

What's the same:

• HIV test at every visit
• STI screening at every visit
• Kidney function labs at every visit

What's different:

Find a Clinic Near You →

• You cannot miss your injection by more than about a month without restarting
• Telehealth visits are often available for the first consultation, then a quick lab stop at any clinic office
• Some clinics offer same-day injection start after a negative rapid test

Get details about injectable PrEP scheduling and what to expect so you can plan ahead.

What to Bring to a PrEP Appointment

Here is what to bring, and what happens from the moment you walk in to the moment you leave.

Key Takeaway
Quick answer: Bring a photo ID, your insurance card if you have one, your phone, and a short list of medications and questions. Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early for intake.

What to bring

Essential:

• Photo ID (driver's license, passport, or state ID)
• Insurance card, if you have one
• Your phone, for intake and to check your patient portal

Helpful:

• A list of any new medications or supplements
• Notes on side effects or health changes since your last visit
• Your questions, written down

For a first visit:

• Proof of address, if you have it
• Any prior lab results from another provider

If you're uninsured, bring any income documents you have. Many partner clinics offer free or low-cost visits through public health programs and sliding-fee scales. Check with the clinic about your situation.

Step by step: what happens during the visit

1. Check-in and intake. You confirm your name and contact info. Clinics collect only what they need, and your phone number is used to reach you about your visit, not to text results.
2. Quick check-in with the clinician. You talk about how the medication is going, any missed doses, side effects, and any new exposures or symptoms.
3. Testing. Rapid HIV plus the STI panel and kidney labs for the pill. A urine sample or swab may be needed, so it helps not to empty your bladder right before.
4. Results and next steps. Rapid HIV results come back in minutes. Other results arrive through your patient portal.
5. Refill or injection. You leave with a refill, or you get your injection if you're on the long-acting option.
6. Book the next visit before you leave. This is the single best way to stay on schedule.

After the visit

• Check your patient portal for lab results. Clinics do not name tests or results in calls, voicemails, or texts, which keeps things private.
• If a result needs follow-up, the clinic will contact you to schedule it.
• If you're on the daily pill, set a phone reminder for your next 3-month visit.

If you're coming to a partner clinic

At our partner clinics across Miami-Dade and Broward, walk-ins are accepted and same-day results are standard. In Broward, First Class OBGYN in Miramar (33029) runs a telehealth-first PrEP visit, then a quick lab stop, and you can call 954-507-4494 to book. In Miami-Dade, Elite Wellness Club in Downtown (33130) and Miracles of the Heart in Kendall West (33193) both offer PrEP follow-up with same-day results. Use the Find a clinic tool to match by zip code.

Preparing for Your Visit: Questions to Ask

Walk in with a plan. Knowing what to ask helps you get the most from your appointment.

About your medication:

• "Am I taking this correctly?" (daily pill timing, injection schedule)
• "What should I do if I miss a dose or an injection?"
• "Are there any new side effects I should watch for?"

About your results:

• "When will I get my test results, and how?"
• "What do these numbers mean for my health?"
• "If a test comes back unclear or positive, what's the next step?"

About your protection:

• "How long does it take for PrEP to work after I start?"
• "What should I do if I think I've been exposed to HIV?"
• "Do I still need condoms if I'm on PrEP?"

About your next visit:

• "When should I book my next appointment?"
• "Can I do any part of this visit by telehealth?"
• "What if I need to reschedule?"

Write these down before you go. Clinicians expect questions, and there are no bad questions at a PrEP follow-up.

Book Your Next PrEP Follow-Up in Miami-Dade or Broward

Booking your next appointment before you leave the clinic is the single best way to stay protected.

In Miami-Dade:

• Elite Wellness Club (Downtown, Brickell, Overtown, 33130/33131/33129/33132/33136): Elite Wellness Club offers rapid HIV, full STD panel, oral and injectable PrEP, and HIV care. Walk-ins welcome.
• MedPlus Medical Center (Allapattah, Little Havana, Wynwood, 33142/33125/33127/33147/33150): MedPlus Medical Center provides rapid HIV, full STD panel, and wellness visits. Same-day results.
• MJD Wellness (North Miami, North Miami Beach, 33161/33162/33181/33168): MJD Wellness offers rapid HIV, full STD panel, and PrEP monitoring. Walk-ins accepted.
• Anuvia Medical Center (North Miami, Aventura, 33179/33180/33162/33161): Anuvia Medical Center provides rapid HIV, full STD panel, and PrEP consultation.
• Miracles of the Heart (Kendall, West Kendall, The Hammocks, Tamiami, 33193/33186/33196/33184/33183): Miracles of the Heart offers rapid HIV, PrEP, STD testing and treatment.
• Survivors Pathways (Multiple locations across Miami-Dade): Survivors Pathways provides rapid HIV, PrEP, STD testing, and supportive services.

In Broward:

• First Class OBGYN (Miramar, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, Davie, 33029/33027/33025/33023/33028/33024): First Class OBGYN prescribes PrEP for women and men (daily pill and every-2-month injection), offers rapid HIV testing, full STD testing, and telehealth-first PrEP visits. Call 954-507-4494 to book.

All partners accept walk-ins, offer same-day results, and provide services in English and Spanish. Free or low-cost testing is available; check with the clinic about your situation.

You can also find a PrEP clinic near you by zip code using RapidTesting Miami's clinic finder.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often do you need follow-up visits while taking PrEP?

For the daily pill, you'll return every three months for an HIV test, STI screening, and kidney function check. For injectable PrEP (cabotegravir), you return every two months for the first two doses, then every two months for ongoing injections. For lenacapavir, the schedule is every six months after the lead-in phase. At our partner clinics across Miami-Dade and Broward, many patients book their next appointment before leaving, which is the best way to stay protected.

What tests are done during a PrEP follow-up?

Your clinic will run an HIV test (rapid or lab-based), STI screening (chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and hepatitis B and C), and kidney function labs. These tests make sure PrEP is safe for you and that you're staying healthy. If you have any symptoms or concerns, your clinician may add other tests. Talk with your clinician about which tests apply to your situation.

What happens if I miss a PrEP follow-up appointment?

Missing an appointment delays your HIV and STI screening, so you won't know if you need treatment. For the daily pill, you can usually reschedule within a few weeks without restarting. For injections, missing by more than about a month may mean restarting the lead-in doses. Contact your clinic as soon as you realize you've missed an appointment. Many of our partner clinics offer same-day walk-ins and telehealth options to make rescheduling easier.

Can I get PrEP follow-up care by telehealth?

Many clinics now offer a telehealth visit first to review your health and any side effects, then a quick lab stop at the clinic for blood work and other tests. This approach works well for people with busy schedules or transportation barriers. Ask your clinic whether telehealth is an option when you book. At our partner clinics in Miami-Dade and Broward, you can check availability when you call or book online.

Ready to stay on track? Use RapidTesting Miami's Find a Clinic tool to book your next PrEP follow-up appointment today. Walk-ins are welcome at all partner clinics across Miami-Dade and Broward. Same-day results. Free or low-cost. English and Spanish. Call 855-560-2280 or book online at your nearest partner clinic.

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