Young women lead early uptake of HIV jab Lenacapavir

By Levy Masiteng 

Adolescent girls and young women are leading early uptake of the newly introduced HIV prevention injection, Lenacapavir, with more than 16,000 people initiated within the first month of the national rollout, according to an official government update.

The long-acting injectable, administered once every six months to eligible HIV-negative people at substantial risk of contracting HIV, is being rolled out in phases across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape, North West and the Western Cape.

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The rollout forms part of government’s drive to reduce new HIV infections and end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, with young women identified as a key priority group in the country’s HIV prevention response.

Among the six provinces participating in the first phase, the Gauteng Department of Health said the province had already exceeded its initial Lenacapavir