Illustration: Ibrahim Rayintakath for Bloomberg
A ‘Miracle’ HIV Drug May Not Reach the Women Who Need It Most
Lenacapavir could be a gamechanger in the fight against infection. But US funding cuts have thrown the rollout of the twice-yearly injection into doubt.
By midday, the Witkoppen Clinic in Johannesburg is crowded. Women sit quietly on plastic chairs with babies on their laps, staying inside to avoid the worst of the heat. Sitshengisiwe Sibanda is among them, her week-old newborn tucked against her chest and her 8-year-old son playing by her side. She’s here for her infant son’s check-up and to collect her pills that prevent HIV infection.
“I have to protect myself and the baby,” said Sibanda, who began taking the daily pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, during her most recent pregnancy. She knows of many women in her township, however, who won’t consider the medication — because of perceived stigma, fear of being questioned by their partner or simply the challenge of remembering a daily regime.