Feasibility and Acceptability of Persons on Long-Acting Cabotegravir for HIV Prevention in the SEARCH Dynamic Choice HIV Prevention Trial Extension in Rural Kenya and Uganda: A Longitudinal Cohort Study

In the SEARCH Dynamic Choice HIV Prevention extension study, we offered choice of biomedical HIV prevention products including CAB-LA, oral TDF/FTC and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), with the ability to switch between options over time. This intervention increased biomedical prevention coverage, defined as the proportion of follow-up time that was covered by a prevention option, by 56.4% compared to the standard of care, which offered oral PrEP/PEP according to national guidelines. Moreover, CAB-LA increased time at risk covered by a biomedical prevention option, and 42% of CAB-LA users were not using any biomedical prevention option at the time of initiating CAB-LA. We evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of CAB-LA among males and females in the intervention arm of the extension who chose and received CAB-LA during the first 48 weeks of the extension. Participants in the control arm of the extension study were not considered for participation because CAB-LA was not available as standard of care in Uganda and Kenya at the time of study implementation. Our analyses aimed to improve our understanding of client perceptions about this long-acting injectable HIV prevention option.