To help contain Atlanta’s HIV epidemic, Grady’s Ponce De Leon Center increased its PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) referrals to care by nearly 1,000 individuals. PrEP can be used by any sexually active person who is HIV-negative and is more than 90% effective in preventing the infection when taken consistently and correctly.

Georgia leads the nation in HIV rates for adults and adolescents. Atlanta ranks near the top of U.S. cities with the highest HIV rates.

Grady has been committed to the war on HIV/AIDS since it opened the Ponce Center in 1986. Today, it is one of America's largest, most comprehensive facilities dedicated to treating advanced HIV/AIDS. Each year, it provides medical and support services to 6,200 men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS. But to reduce the rate of new infections, we had to lead in testing and prevention. Grady is one of the few hospitals in Atlanta offering opt-out universal HIV testing in the emergency department. In 2021, we tested more than 28,000 patients. Of those, 333 were HIV positive.