{"id":8814,"date":"2025-09-19T12:42:04","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T12:42:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/?p=8814"},"modified":"2025-10-29T10:45:27","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T10:45:27","slug":"could-this-new-hiv-drug-end-aids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/could-this-new-hiv-drug-end-aids\/","title":{"rendered":"Could this new HIV drug end AIDS?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

HIV<\/strong><\/a> has been a scourge all around the world for decades. While amazing advancements have been made in its prevention and treatment, it still affects millions of people all around the world and can lead to many negative health outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there is hope that a new medication can help to stop new cases of HIV in their tracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

HIV can be treated effectively with the right care. But first, you have to know your sexual health status. Our HIV Home Test Kit will give you quick, accurate test results from the comfort of your own home.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Get tested<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What is this new drug?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released updated\u00a0guidelines<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0supporting the use of lenacapavir, a new injectable drug, as a way of protecting people who are at high-risk of getting HIV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The drug is meant to be taken as a twice-yearly injection, acting as an additional prevention option for people at risk of contracting HIV, especially in high-risk areas. The guidance recommends using lenacapavir in combination with other HIV prevention drugs, like tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and other forms of pre-exposure prophylaxsis (PrEP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This new guidance has been supported by two multicentre, double-blind, randomized, active-controlled trials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These studies showed that lenacapavir resulted in significant reductions in HIV acquisition and high treatment efficacy when compared to other daily oral PrEP medications like TDF. More research is needed to know how this drug may affect certain populations, like sex workers, people who inject drugs, and incarcerated individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lenacapavir didn\u2019t show any adverse outcomes when administered to pregnant individuals and is not associated with negative birth outcomes. The studies also didn\u2019t show any evidence that lenacapavir had any meaningful interactions with hormonal contraception or gender-affirming hormone therapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This means we can give this medication just every six months to someone who is having unprotected sex all the time and know they will be protect against HIV. And if they are protected, and don\u2019t get infected, they won\u2019t infect others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will it work for other STIs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lenacapavir was specifically designed for HIV. Evidence gathered during these studies found similar rates of transmission of other infections when compared to other PrEP recipients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n