A large clinical trial in South Africa and Uganda has shown that a twice-yearly injection of a new drug provides young women with total protection against HIV infection .
The trial tested whether the six-monthly injection of Lenacapavir would provide better protection against HIV infection than two other pills, which need to be taken daily.
All three medications are pre-exposure prophylaxis drugs.
University of Cape Town Professor of Medicine Linda-Gail Bekker was the Principal Investigator for the South African part of the study.
She says the breakthrough gives great hope that a proven, highly effective prevention tool to protect people from HIV, has now been developed.
