TREATMENT BREAKTHROUGH: The long shot: Building behavioural science into HIV prevention (opens original article in a new tab)

A new HIV prevention tool, lenacapavir, offers a twice-yearly injection with high effectiveness but requires addressing behavioral and systemic barriers for real-world success.

• Over four decades, HIV treatment advances have transformed it from fatal to manageable, but preventing new infections remains a challenge.
• Lenacapavir (LEN), a twice-yearly injectable PrEP, shows near 100% effectiveness in clinical trials but faces real-world adoption barriers like stigma and access.
• Behavioral factors, including trust in healthcare and perceived risk, are critical for the success of new HIV prevention tools like LEN.
• Public health efforts must address stigma, improve education, and integrate prevention into routine care to ensure LEN's impact.