A First for India: Queer-Centered Tool Helping People Access HIV Prevention Without Fear or Judgment

For decades, conversations around HIV in India have carried a heavy weight of stigma. Within queer and trans communities, this stigma deepens, making access to information, testing, and timely preventive care even more difficult.

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Despite progress in public health, HIV continues to remain entangled with judgment, misinformation, and silence.

India’s HIV strategy under the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) is aligned with the UNAIDS 95-95-95 goals, global targets designed to help end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

So what does 95-95-95 actually mean?

• 95% of people living with HIV should know their status.

• 95% of those who know their status should be on treatment (ART).
  

• 95% of those on treatment should have an undetectable viral load.
  
  

When these three milestones are met, HIV transmission drops dramatically — because people with suppressed viral loads cannot pass on the virus sexually. In simple terms: the more people who know, treat, and suppress HIV, the closer we get to ending the epidemic.

Over the years, the country has indeed built strong testing and treatment systems. Free ART (antiretroviral therapy) across government centres is accessible and widely recognised. But the missing piece in this landscape has been just as important: HIV prevention.

While science has evolved rapidly, India’s prevention tools haven’t reached people with the ease, dignity, or urgency they deserve.

The prevention gap no one was talking about

Medically, India has had access to two highly effective prevention tools for years:

1. PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis)

First introduced in 2004, this was made for emergency use. This time-sensitive medication must be started within 2–72 hours of potential exposure and should be taken for 28 days, to prevent the virus from multiplying.

2. PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis)

Introduced in India nearly a decade ago, in 2015-16, it has transformed HIV prevention globally, especially among queer communities. It is a daily or planned medication regime that reduces HIV risk before exposure. But in India, both remain incredibly hard to access.

PEP is still largely offered only in cases of occupational exposure or sexual assault. PrEP, though legal and medically approved, isn’t integrated into the public HIV programme. The result? 

Ordinary queer individuals who may want to proactively protect themselves have almost no idea where to go, whom to approach, or whether they’ll be judged for asking.

It was this gap that sparked the creation of Safe Access.

Safe Access is a community-led organisation committed to improving equitable, LGBTQIA+-affirming healthcare across India by addressing systemic gaps, stigma, misinformation, and barriers in access. To further this mission, they have launched India’s first PrEP/PEP Locator — a queer- and trans-affirming, community-crowdsourced directory that helps users easily find trusted providers, compare prices, check availability, and access essential HIV prevention tools beyond big cities.

“LGBTQ healthcare is still equated with HIV care, and while testing or getting PrEP is easy, accessing prevention tools isn’t. That’s why, as an organisation, we felt we had to intervene. We created this locator so people can finally find and access prevention tools when they need them,” says Shubham Chaudhary toThe Better India.

Safe Access steps in: A first-of-its-kind locator built for queer healthcare access

Safe Access didn’t begin as an HIV-focused organisation. It was founded out of the frustration that LGBTQIA+ healthcare in India continues to be viewed only through the lens of HIV. But through years of working closely with queer and trans communities, one truth became clear: preventive healthcare was still the weakest link.

To address this gap, Safe Access built India’s first PrEP/PEP Locator, launched in September 2025. The tool is free, mobile-friendly, and fully anonymous — anyone can access it through a simple link to instantly find:

• Queer-affirming doctors
  

• Time-sensitive PEP access points
  

• Online and offline PrEP providers
  

• Transparent pricing
  

• Sliding-scale or low-cost options

The most powerful part? 

Every listing on the platform is community-vetted. Providers are recommended by queer individuals, community-based organisations, and partners who have worked at grassroots levels for years.

“The problem isn’t LGBTQ healthcare — it’s the delay in seeking care. Stigma, uncertainty, and the fear of disclosure make care inaccessible, and in that struggle to decide where to go, the crucial 72-hour window is often lost,” adds Shubham.

Features designed for safety, ease and real needs

Shubham shares that the locator isn’t only for the queer community — it’s a useful tool for anyone who wants to begin PrEP but struggles to find the right doctor or medication. In such cases, the locator becomes an essential point of support.

Along with helping individuals prioritise their health, the tool also includes several features tailored to the needs of people across India.

Online and offline access

PEP requires immediate action, so the tool lists offline centres based on geography. PrEP can be planned, so Safe Access also mapped online providers who can:

• Consult digitally
  

• Order required tests
  

• Prescribe medication
  

• Ship PrEP nationwide

This ensures that no matter where someone lives, they have a pathway to prevention.

Pricing transparency

Shubham shares how Safe Access uncovered alarming experiences from queer youth being prescribed PrEP unnecessarily to people being charged Rs 40,000 for medicines that actually cost Rs 2,000–3,500.

To prevent exploitation, the tool lists:

• Actual market price ranges
  

• Sliding-scale providers
  

• Zero-cost or subsidised services
  

• Fair-fee clinics
  
  

Built-in accountability

Users can review providers anonymously if needed. If someone has a negative or positive experience, their input shapes the directory.

“We’ve tried to make it accessible in terms of both geography and purchasing power, while also building a culture of accountability, where healthcare providers aren’t just listed, but reviewed and held responsible,” says Shubham.

Mapping the gaps, holding the community

Whether it was collecting data or reaching out to providers in regions like Northeast India, the process came with significant challenges. Many listed phone numbers didn’t work, emails went unanswered, and explaining the time-sensitive nature of PEP and PrEP access wasn’t always easy. 

Mapping the Northeast was particularly difficult because of sparse provider networks, and many healthcare professionals still lacked adequate training or awareness around these prevention tools.

On the user side, safety concerns, stigma, and distrust in the healthcare system meant that many queer individuals chose to remain anonymous. 

Yet, Shubham shares that despite these barriers, the locator became possible only because of the community’s constant support and effort.

Since the launch of the locator, Safe Access has seen massive online engagement — from people thanking the founder for creating such a tool to others asking why it isn’t available in their city yet. Shubham proudly recalls how the community has shaped the initiative and made it even stronger, sharing how overwhelmed and grateful they are for the response.

“People should have the choice and options when it comes to prevention. We should make these things accessible to people so that they are open to pick and choose what works for them,” he says.

A message for India’s health system and the road ahead

Safe Access hopes the government will recognise PEP and PrEP as core public-health essentials rather than niche interventions. 

They imagine a future where prevention is accessible to everyone, where information isn’t privileged, queer individuals don’t face discrimination, access isn’t limited by geography or income, HIV care goes beyond testing, and stigma no longer delays life-saving decisions.

“At its heart, Safe Access exists to ensure equitable, stigma-free healthcare for queer and trans people across India,” adds Shubham

The PEP & PrEP locator is only the beginning, but it represents a meaningful shift in how India approaches preventive care. 

It signals a future where health access is rooted in autonomy, dignity, and choice and where every person, regardless of identity or location, can protect themselves without fear or barriers. It’s a small tool, but one that points toward a more informed, empathetic, and inclusive India.