Amidst the development of a new HIV preventative drug, University of Rhode Island faculty and staff are working to expand accessibility resources and diminish stigmas around HIV prevention.
Lenacapavir is a newly developed pre-exposure prophylaxis, or preventative, drug taken twice yearly to stop HIV transmission, according to Dr. Christopher Nasin, the medical director at Health Services. The drug is yet to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, but countries around the world, including the United States, are taking part in its second round of trials.
Truvada is the most administered PrEP option at URI Health Services, Nasin said. Based on its testing so far, Lenacapavir has worked so well that it was un-blinded in trials, allowing all participants to take the medication.
“The true advantage [of Lenacapavir] is that you’re taking it twice a year,” Nasin said. “You’re being 100% compliant because it’s only two doses. So that’s where I think the power of this medication really comes in.”
Nasin works in accordance with the URI Gender and Sexuality Center and AIDS Project Rhode Island to conduct confidential testings and screenings for sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. Health Services held their most recent rapid HIV testing on Sept. 25, which was open for students to attend without appointment or cost.
With the development of modern medicine, AIDS is much less of a concern in the U.S. than it used to be, according to Nasin. That doesn’t mean, however, that it shouldn’t be taken seriously. As of 2024, there is still no cure.
“There’s such a dramatic change now compared to then which is wonderful, but at the same time I think what happens is people become complacent about HIV,” Nasin said.
It is important not to become complacent about HIV despite new developments such as Lenacapavir, according to Nasin. This is especially true because preventative measures are not as widespread in developing countries, increasing the possibility of HIV mutation and making them harder to treat.
Stigmas around HIV can prevent people’s willingness to seek care, according to URI clinical professor of pharmacology Jeffrey Bratberg. When Bratberg worked at an HIV clinic for the Clinton Foundation in the Bahamas in 2008, he said people would take a 12-hour boat ride detour to avoid being seen on their way to the clinic by people they knew.
“The university, or Health Services, has been very supportive of things that we put in there to give people access to, but we also want to have people be connected to care,” Bratberg said.
Ashley Buchanan, an associate professor of pharmacology at URI, also works on destigmatizing HIV prevention in underrepresented communities.
“Having those screenings [should] be part of your total picture of health, instead of something you’re embarrassed about,” Buchanan said. “It should be part of everyone’s regular health activities.”
Students can work toward a safer future by getting tested for STI’s, taking safe sex seriously and being “informed consumers,” according to Nasin.
For more information on future HIV testings and clinical information, students can visit URI Health Services’ website .