The use of a monthly injectable medication as an additional Human Immune Virus (HIV) prevention method has been approved by the World Health Organization.
The long-acting injectable is a type of pre-exposure prophylaxis known as PrEP. It functions by preventing the body’s ability to replicate HIV.
The first two injections will be given four weeks apart, followed thereafter by an injection every eight weeks.
Dr. Meg Doherty, an infectious disease specialist in Baltimore, Maryland stated in a statement that long-acting cabotegravir is a safe and very effective HIV prevention tool, but it is not yet accessible outside of study settings.
She added: “We hope these new guidelines will help accelerate country efforts to start to plan and deliver CAB-LA alongside other HIV prevention options, including oral PrEP and the dapivirine vaginal ring.”
Most persons who are more likely to contract HIV take the daily oral PrEP tablet. However, many people fail to adhere to treatment because of the stigma attached to using the medicine.
Compared to oral PrEP, CAB-LA was found to be 79% effective at lowering one’s chance of contracting the virus.
