The Lancet report has also found that long-term HIV injections may help adolescents living with HIV maintain viral suppression more effectively than taking antiretroviral tablets every day.
Preliminary findings are available in September 2026. The LATA (Long-Acting Treatment in Adolescents) trial, conducted at University College London (UCL), involved young people from four African countries.
What did the study look at?
The trial involved 476 adolescents aged 12 to 19 in Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. All participants were already on HIV treatment, had an undetectable viral load, and had been taking treatment for more than a year.
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The participants were randomly assigned to continue oral treatment or receive long-acting injections containing cabotegravir and rilpivirine every eight weeks. Researchers followed them for 96 weeks, or almost two years.
Injections kept HIV suppressed more often
After 96 weeks, confirmed viral rebound occurred in 2 participants (about 1%) in the injectable group vs. 15 participants (about 6%) in the daily-tablet group.
Viral rebound means that the amount of HIV in the blood rises after previously being suppressed. An undetectable viral load is a key component of HIV treatment, and it promotes long-term health and prevents sexual transmission when viral suppression is maintained.
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Why Could Injections Help?
Taking medication every day can be difficult, particularly for adolescents. Forgetting doses, privacy, and stigma related to HIV medication can all contribute to poor adherence.
The study found that 94% of adolescents receiving injections said the eight-weekly treatment was much easier than taking medicines every day.
For some young people, fewer treatment days may help to maintain the continuity of therapy.
The Treatment, Not Prevention.
The headline on HIV injections can be confusing. The LATA study did not test injections as a method of preventing HIV infection in people who do not have HIV.
Instead, it examined treatment among adolescents who were already living with HIV and whose virus was already suppressed.
Injectable HIV prevention (long-acting PrEP) is another option. For example, cabotegravir injections are already commonly used for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in some settings. In addition, daily oral PrEP and injectable cabotegravir are both HIV prevention options among the CDC-preventable drugs.
Access remains a major challenge.
Although the results are promising, the researchers highlighted practical barriers to wider use of injectable treatment in Africa and other lower-resource settings.
The medicines can cost more than standard tablets, rilpivirine requires refrigeration, and trained healthcare workers are needed to administer the injections every eight weeks.
So the researchers suggested more access to long-term HIV treatment for adolescents who would benefit from this.
What the Findings Mean
It is evidence of the LATA trial that long-acting injectable treatment can be an important option for adolescents living with HIV. It also shows how treatment schedules influence adherence and viral suppression.
But injections are not suitable for everyone. Treatment decisions should be made with a healthcare professional based on medical history, HIV treatment status, availability, and individual circumstances.
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