According to The Citizen, researchers have reported that pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in the form of an injection once every eight weeks was 9 times more effective than a daily oral pill in preventing HIV contraction. The daily pill is currently the standard PrEP available to the public.
Dr Sinead Delany-Moretlwe, director of research at the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (Wits RHI), said, “We know that adherence to a daily pill continues to be challenging, and an effective injectable product such as a long-acting CAB [cabotegravir injection] is a very important additional HIV prevention option for them. We are grateful to the women who volunteered for this study and the research staff, as this study would not have been possible without their commitment to HIV prevention.”
The HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) took place over several years, measuring the effectiveness of PrEP in preventing the contraction of HIV. 3223 cisgendered women with an average age of 26 were enrolled in the study in South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The trial found that of 38 women who contracted HIV, four were receiving the injection while the remainder were using the oral pill.
Executive director of Wits RHI, Professor Helen Rees, said, “These results are a milestone for prevention of HIV among women at risk worldwide and especially for women in sub-Saharan Africa. If we are to turn the tide on the HIV epidemic, we will need prevention options that work for women in sub-Saharan Africa. These findings provide great hope and motivation for additional studies to show safety and acceptability in adolescents, pregnant and breastfeeding women.”
The game-changing medication will not be available to the public until further testing is completed.
