Quick Answer
- Houston residents can get confidential online HIV and STD counselling with Dr. Yuvraj Monga for $99.
- Harris County is a federal Ending the HIV Epidemic priority county with active testing and PrEP programs.
- The Houston Health Department offers PrEP navigation and PrEP/PEP information, plus partner services.
- For PEP within 72 hours, go to an emergency department or urgent care immediately.
The HIV Testing Counselling Program, Run by Dr. Yuvraj Monga
This program is led by Dr. Yuvraj Monga, MBBS, MD, an HIV, AIDS and STD specialist physician with a fellowship in infectious diseases and more than 25 years of experience managing and treating patients from around the world. Our counselling follows WHO and CDC guidelines, and our own EXACT program means we take time to understand every patient, not just their test result.
Easy consultation, friendly follow-up support, and a clear path to living with confidence and safety.
Houston is a city built on medicine. The Texas Medical Center is one of the largest medical complexes in the world, yet many Houstonians facing an HIV or STD worry still don't know where to start. A sprawling city, long commutes and a culture where people keep private matters private can turn a manageable concern into weeks of silent anxiety. If you've been searching for the best doctors for HIV/AIDS in Houston, this guide offers a clear plan and a confidential place to talk.
Why Houstonians Reach Out
We hear from people across Greater Houston, from Montrose and the Heights to Katy, Pearland and Sugar Land. Common reasons include:
- An encounter during a night out or business trip, and uncertainty about whether PEP is needed.
- Confusion about which of the many testing options to trust.
- Worry about a spouse at home while waiting for results.
- A new diagnosis and fear about what it means for work and family.
- Preferring to speak in Hindi, away from a close community.
Houston's Public HIV and STD Services
Harris County is one of the federal Ending the HIV Epidemic priority counties, and the Houston Health Department runs a wide range of HIV prevention programs. These are useful places to start:
| Local service | What it offers (check before visiting) |
|---|---|
| Houston Health Department: PrEP/nPEP | Information and navigation for PrEP and non-occupational PEP. PEP must start within 72 hours. |
| Houston Health Department health centres | Including the Sharpstown Health Clinic (6201 Bonhomme Rd), with PrEP navigation; appointments required; sliding-scale fees. |
| Project PODER | Bilingual HIV prevention services focused on Hispanic/Latino communities. |
| Harris Health System and routine opt-out testing partners | Hospital and urgent care partners offering HIV and STI testing across the city. |
The health department's partner services can also help people diagnosed with HIV or another STD notify partners confidentially, so those partners can be tested and treated.
Talk to Dr. Monga privately today
Consultation on WhatsApp. $99 package. 100% confidential.
PEP in Houston: Act Within 72 Hours
A possible exposure in the last 72 hours? Go to an emergency department or urgent care centre today and ask to be assessed for HIV PEP. Don't wait for Monday, for symptoms, or for a test result.
Once you have started PEP, we can help you understand side effects, keep doses on schedule and plan follow-up testing. Read our page on when to start PEP and our guide to high-risk exposures.
Making Sense of Testing in Houston
Houston has routine opt-out HIV testing in many hospitals and urgent care centres, mobile testing and plenty of private labs. More choice can mean more confusion. What matters most is timing:
- A 4th-generation HIV test is highly reliable from 6 weeks after a single exposure.
- Gonorrhoea and chlamydia tests become reliable from about 2 weeks.
- Syphilis testing is best at about 6 weeks, sometimes repeated at 12.
Counselling helps you avoid testing too early, repeating tests unnecessarily, or missing an infection altogether. See our guide on choosing the right test.
PrEP in Houston
PrEP is one of the most effective HIV prevention tools available, and Houston's health department offers navigation to help people start. Most private insurance plans cover it. If you're unsure whether PrEP is right for you, or nervous about raising it with a doctor, a counselling session lets you ask every question privately first. Our page on protection and prevention gives an overview.
Living With HIV in Houston
Houston offers strong HIV treatment through public and private systems. Alongside your medical care, counselling helps with the parts of life that clinics rarely have time for: telling a partner, family expectations, workplace worries, dating again and staying motivated on daily treatment. We can also explain viral load and CD4 results in plain language.
HIV Explained: What It Is, Common Symptoms and Why Early Advice Matters
What is HIV?
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) attacks the immune system, especially the CD4 cells that help the body fight infection. It spreads through blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, vaginal and rectal fluids and breast milk, most often through unprotected sex or shared needles. It does not spread through hugging, kissing, sharing food or everyday contact. Without treatment, HIV can slowly progress to AIDS. With modern treatment, people living with HIV live long, healthy lives.
Common early symptoms
Some people develop a short flu-like illness two to four weeks after infection. Many people have no symptoms at all, which is why testing, not guessing, gives the answer.
These symptoms are also caused by flu, other infections and even anxiety. Our pages on early signs and symptoms and the testing window period explain why a correctly timed test matters more than any symptom.
Why consult a doctor early?
What we do for people in Houston
We counsel for every HIV, AIDS and STD concern, privately and without judgment:
PrEP Explained: What It Is, When to Use It, and How to Get It
What is PrEP?
PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is medicine that people without HIV take before a possible exposure to prevent HIV. The most common form is a daily tablet containing tenofovir and emtricitabine. Taken as prescribed, PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99%, according to the US CDC. It does not protect against other STIs, so condoms and regular STI testing still matter.
Who should consider PrEP?
- You have a partner living with HIV who is not yet undetectable.
- You have new or multiple partners and don't always use condoms.
- You have had an STI in the past six months.
- You have needed PEP more than once.
- You share needles or injecting equipment.
How and when do you take it?
- Daily PrEP: one tablet every day, for anyone at ongoing risk.
- Event-based (2-1-1) PrEP: an option for some men who have sex with men, timed around sex. Your doctor will tell you if it suits you.
- Before starting: a negative HIV test, plus kidney and hepatitis B checks.
- While on PrEP: HIV, STI and kidney tests about every three months.
PrEP is not PEP. PrEP is taken before exposure. If you have already had an exposure in the last 72 hours, you need PEP: please consult a doctor or hospital in your own area immediately. Read PEP vs PrEP and who should consider PrEP.
Why consult an Indian HIV doctor about PrEP?
- Experience: Dr. Yuvraj Monga has more than 25 years in HIV, AIDS and STD care, with patients from around the world.
- Affordable: medical care in India costs far less than private care in most countries, and generic PrEP made in India is among the most affordable anywhere.
- Clear guidance: in counselling, Dr. Monga explains whether PrEP suits you, which tests you need, and the costs and options in your country compared with India.
- Complete confidentiality: counselling, prescription and follow-up, privately.
Getting your PrEP medicine
After a consultation and baseline tests, Dr. Monga can prescribe PrEP. Medicines are couriered anywhere in India, and for clients abroad we discuss the safest legal way to get your PrEP during the consultation.
In the United States, PrEP is widely available from local providers, often at low or no cost with insurance or assistance programs, and US rules generally do not allow prescription medicines to be imported by mail. Many of our US clients consult us for guidance and collect PrEP during a visit to India.
Our vision: a life free of HIV for everyone we counsel, through prevention, early testing and the right treatment.
When Do You Need Counselling? Our Services for Houston
Counselling isn't only for a new diagnosis. Most people who reach us are making an important health decision: whether they need PEP, whether PrEP is right for them, which tests to take, how to protect a partner or how to plan a family. Choose what fits your situation and book a session on WhatsApp.
PEP Counselling (Within 72 Hours)
After a risky exposure, PEP can prevent HIV if started within 72 hours. Get PEP from a local emergency department or sexual health clinic; we help you understand your risk, take every dose and manage side effects.
- Is this exposure risky enough for PEP?
- How to take 28 days of PEP without missing doses
- Managing nausea, bloating and stomach upset
- Follow-up HIV tests after PEP
PrEP Counselling
PrEP is medicine taken before exposure that prevents HIV. After a consultation and baseline tests, Dr. Monga, an Indian HIV doctor, can prescribe PrEP, and we discuss the safest legal way for you to get it in Houston.
- Is PrEP right for you: daily or event-based
- Which baseline tests to do first
- Costs and options in your country vs India
- Collect during an India visit, or dispatch where legally permitted
Testing Counselling: Which Tests and When
Testing at the wrong time is the main reason people stay anxious after a negative result. We give you a dated plan and explain every report.
- 4th-generation HIV test at 6 weeks
- Gonorrhoea & chlamydia from 2 weeks
- Syphilis at 6 weeks, repeat at 12 if advised
- Report interpretation in plain language
STD Counselling
Burning, discharge, sores or simply worry after sex? Many STDs cause no symptoms at all. We help you understand the risk and plan the right tests and treatment.
- Syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, herpes, HPV
- Which sites to test: urine, throat, rectal
- Partner notification and treatment
- Preventing repeat infections
Counselling for HIV-Positive Partners
If one partner is living with HIV, you can still have a safe, loving and intimate relationship. We counsel couples together or individually.
- U=U: undetectable means untransmittable
- PrEP and condoms for the HIV-negative partner
- Disclosure, trust and intimacy
- Handling family and social pressure
Family Planning Counselling
People living with HIV can have healthy, HIV-negative babies. We help couples plan conception, pregnancy and birth safely, alongside your local doctors.
- Reaching an undetectable viral load first
- Safe conception for mixed-status couples
- Pregnancy, delivery and infant testing
- Questions to ask your antenatal team
Managing PEP Side Effects: Nausea, Bloating, Stomach Upset and Fever
Modern PEP is usually well tolerated, but some people feel unwell in the first one to two weeks. Most side effects are mild and settle as the body adjusts. Never stop PEP on your own: contact the doctor who prescribed your PEP, or message us for guidance first.
| Side effect | What usually helps | When to get help |
|---|---|---|
| Nausea | Take the dose with food, eat small frequent meals, try ginger or dry crackers. Your doctor can prescribe an anti-nausea medicine. | If you vomit within an hour of a dose, ask your doctor whether to repeat it. |
| Bloating & stomach upset | Smaller meals, less spicy, oily or fizzy food, and gentle walking after meals. | Severe or worsening abdominal pain needs urgent review. |
| Loose stools | Drink plenty of fluids or oral rehydration solution; eat simple foods. | If it lasts more than two days or you feel dizzy or dehydrated. |
| Headache & tiredness | Rest, hydration and a regular sleep routine; take the dose at the same time daily. | If severe, or with confusion or a stiff neck. |
| Fever | Fever is not a typical PEP side effect. It can come from another infection, a reaction to medicine or, rarely, early HIV. | Contact a doctor promptly, especially if fever comes with a rash. |
Seek urgent care for a rash with fever, yellowing of the eyes or skin, dark urine, severe abdominal pain, repeated vomiting or difficulty breathing.
Counselling during PEP helps you stay on all 28 days, which matters as much as starting on time. Many people also need support for the anxiety that builds while they wait for follow-up results.
Our Approach: The EXACT Program
EXposure · Anxiety · Counselling · Testing & Treatment: one confidential pathway led by Dr. Yuvraj Monga.
Exposure
A detailed, judgment-free review of what happened and how risky it really was. PEP timing is checked first.
Anxiety
Practical tools to calm racing thoughts, stop symptom-checking and sleep again while you wait.
Counselling
One-to-one sessions on risk, relationships, disclosure, medication and living well with HIV.
Testing & Treatment
A dated HIV and STD test plan, report reviews, and guidance on PEP, PrEP or ART.
24x7 Support on WhatsApp
Appointments are booked, on WhatsApp or video, with 24x7 support and confirmed on WhatsApp. Here's how Houston hours align with India:
Message us any time, day or night. Our support team is available 24x7 on WhatsApp for Houston. Tell us briefly what is worrying you, and your private consultation with Dr. Yuvraj Monga, an Indian HIV specialist, is confirmed there.
Message 24x7 on WhatsAppHow It Works
1. Message on WhatsApp
Send a short note. A first name is enough to begin.
2. Fix your appointment
We confirm a slot with 24x7 support.
3. Talk to Dr. Monga
Chat, voice or video. Private and unhurried.
4. Friendly follow-up
Written next steps, test dates and support until you have answers.
For Houston's Indian and South Asian Community
Greater Houston is home to a large Indian-American community, from the Mahatma Gandhi District along Hillcroft to Sugar Land and Katy. In close communities, privacy around sexual health is a real concern. Counselling in Hindi, with a specialist who is not part of your local network, lets you speak openly and get the right advice for you and your family.
Getting Around a Sprawling City
Houston's size means the nearest clinic may be a long drive away. Online counselling lets you get answers first, so you only make the trip when it's truly needed, and arrive knowing exactly what to ask.
Meet Dr. Yuvraj Monga
Dr. Monga has spent his career helping people through HIV, AIDS and STD concerns, from the panic of a recent exposure to long-term HIV management. He is Chief Consultant Physician at Dr. Monga Medi Clinic and leads the HIV Testing Counselling program and its EXACT approach. He consults online from India with people around the world, including across the United States. Conversations are direct, evidence-based and free of judgment, in English or Hindi.
Recognition:
- Indian Achievers Award (2014)
- Brand Achiever, Health Care Excellence Awards (2015)
- Indian Achievers Award for Best Clinic in Delhi-NCR (2017)
Your $99 Counselling Package
For Houston clients, the online counselling package is $99. What's included for your situation is confirmed on WhatsApp before you pay, with no hidden charges.
Don't Wait: Protect Yourself Before the Virus Takes Hold
After a risky exposure, the first 72 hours decide whether PEP can still protect you. If you're anxious, waiting for results or living with HIV, a single conversation can give you a clear plan. Book your consultation today and fix your appointment with 24x7 support.
Send a Private Query
Fill in a few details. Your query is emailed to Dr. Monga's team and WhatsApp opens with your details, so you can reach us instantly. Everything stays confidential.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the best doctors for HIV/AIDS in Houston?
Houston has world-class medical institutions and many experienced HIV specialists in hospitals and community clinics. The right choice depends on insurance, location and needs. Counselling with Dr. Monga helps you prepare and choose with confidence.
Where can I get PEP in Houston?
Hospital emergency departments and many urgent care centres can assess you for PEP. The Houston Health Department also provides PrEP/PEP information and navigation. PEP must start within 72 hours.
Is PrEP affordable in Houston?
Most private insurance plans cover PrEP, and public programs and navigators can help uninsured people find low-cost options.
Is support available 24x7 for Houston?
Yes. Our support is available 24x7 on WhatsApp: message us any time and your consultation with Dr. Monga is confirmed there.
Can I get counselling in Hindi?
Yes. Many Houston clients prefer Hindi, especially for family and relationship concerns. English is equally welcome.
What should I do if PEP makes me feel sick?
Nausea, bloating and stomach upset are common in the first weeks. Take doses with food, eat small meals and stay hydrated, and ask your doctor about anti-nausea medicine. Don't stop PEP on your own. Fever with a rash, yellow eyes or severe pain needs urgent medical care.
Can you send PrEP to my location?
Medicines are couriered anywhere in India. For clients in Houston, we discuss dispatch only where your country's laws permit personal import of prescribed medicine; otherwise many clients collect PrEP during a visit to India. In some countries, such as the UAE, importing HIV medicines is strictly controlled.
Further Reading
Detailed, doctor-reviewed guides from our sister resource, PEP Treatment for HIV:
Official public health resources:
People in Houston
Medical note: Dr. Monga HIV Counselling Center provides online counselling, education and guidance. It does not replace an in-person examination, laboratory testing or prescriptions from a provider licensed in your state. If an exposure happened in the last 72 hours, seek PEP from a local hospital or clinic immediately. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 in the United States.