{"id":573490,"date":"2025-11-16T05:30:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-16T05:30:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/573490\/"},"modified":"2025-11-16T05:30:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T05:30:17","slug":"details-as-game-changing-hiv-prevention-jab-approved-for-use-in-northern-ireland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/573490\/","title":{"rendered":"Details as ‘game-changing’ HIV prevention jab approved for use in Northern Ireland"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was announced last month that the injection was approved for England and Wales and campaigners had called for NI to follow suit<\/p>\n

15:07, 10 Nov 2025Updated 07:57, 11 Nov 2025<\/p>\n

\"TheThe HIV prevention treatment is an alternative to taking daily PrEP medication(Image: d3sign via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

A ground-breaking injection to prevent HIV is set to be approved for use in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n

The long-acting cabotegravir (CAB-LA) injection, administered every two months, will offer an alternative to the daily pills currently used to protect against the virus.<\/p>\n

This form of HIV prevention therapy, known as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), is typically taken by HIV-negative people to reduce their risk of infection. Experts hope the injections will help meet the ambition of ending new HIV cases by 2030 in the UK.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: 10 Northern Ireland domestic and sexual abuse services awarded \u00a3259k funding<\/a>READ MORE: ‘Abandoned and let down’: Campaigners warn of neurology services in crisis<\/a><\/p>\n

Last month it was announced that the injection had been approved for use in England and Wales, bringing it into line with Scotland.<\/p>\n

In draft guidance, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommended the injection for adults and young people at risk of HIV who are unable to take oral PrEP.<\/p>\n

More than 111,000 people accessed PrEP in sexual health clinics in England during 2024, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), a 7% increase over the previous year.<\/p>\n

But local campaigners had called for health authorities in Northern Ireland<\/a> to follow suit. Now the Department of Health<\/a> has confirmed that the treatment will be rolled-out here too.<\/p>\n

What is HIV prevention therapy?<\/p>\n

Known as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), the pills have been available for years and are extremely effective at stopping HIV infections, but are not always easy for some to take. It can be hard to access, not practical, or feel embarrassing. For example, people might worry that someone like parents or housemates could find their pills.<\/p>\n

Homelessness and domestic violence can also make it difficult to take oral PrEP every day. An injection which lasts for months offers convenience and discretion.<\/p>\n

HIV is a virus that damages the cells in the immune system and weakens the body’s ability to fight everyday infections and diseases. It can be caught during unprotected sex or through sharing needles. Mothers can also pass it to their baby at birth.<\/p>\n

However, cabotegravir is given as a jab, usually six times a year or every other month, making it potentially more convenient and discreet.<\/p>\n

When will the injection be available?<\/p>\n

Final guidance on administering the drug in Northern Ireland has been issued to the DoH by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).<\/p>\n

The department has said it has now “begun the process of formally endorsing the NICE guidance so that eligible patients in Northern Ireland may receive this treatment”.<\/p>\n

It’s not known when the injections will become available but the move is part of a plan to end HIV transmission by 2030.<\/p>\n

What has the Department of Health said?<\/p>\n

A DoH spokesperson told Belfast Live<\/a>: “On 5th November 2025, NICE published final guidance recommending the use of cabotegravir (Apretude\u00ae) as an option for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) alongside safer sex practices to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV-1 infection in adults and young people at high risk of getting HIV if they cannot have oral PrEP (TA1106).<\/p>\n

“In accordance with the process set out in circular HSC (SQSD) 12\/22<\/a>, the Department has now begun the process of formally endorsing the NICE guidance so that eligible patients in Northern Ireland may receive this treatment.<\/p>\n

“Northern Ireland does not have its own Health Technology Appraisal (HTA) body, and since 2006 the Department of Health has had a formal link with NICE under which NICE Technology Appraisals are reviewed locally by the Department for legal and policy applicability in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n

“Where found to be applicable, they are endorsed for implementation within HSC organisations. This link has ensured that Northern Ireland has access to up-to-date, independent, professional, evidence-based guidance on the value of health care interventions. In practice, this means that treatments that have been recommended by NICE for routine use in the NHS<\/a> in England are made available in Northern Ireland.”<\/p>\n

\"JacquieJacquie Richardson, CEO of Positive LifeWhat has the reaction been?<\/p>\n

Jacquie Richardson, CEO of HIV charity Positive Life, said it was “very welcome news” and she looks forward \u201cto seeing this new preventative drug made available as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ms Richardson added: \u201cIn Northern Ireland we know that stigma, conservative attitudes towards sex and sexuality, and outdated perceptions of HIV still affect how people approach sexual health and how they access HIV testing and treatment.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrEP in tablet form is available across all five health trusts here, but it still has a somewhat low level of awareness in Northern Ireland. A recent Department of Health survey revealed that general awareness of HIV in Northern Ireland has fallen over the last five years (from 94% to 87%), and among those who are aware of it, only 17% were aware that PrEP is proven to protect against acquiring HIV.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny healthcare innovation which empowers people to proactively look after their sexual health must be supported and actively promoted. This new injection will make seeking and taking the drug much more straightforward.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would like to see a sharper focus on HIV prevention in Northern Ireland: we\u2019re close to eliminating HIV here. We\u2019re working hard to achieve zero new HIV diagnoses in Northern Ireland by 2030, but we can\u2019t achieve that without a focused and adequately funded effort.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the single most important steps in this is HIV testing so as many people as possible know their status, can access treatment, care and support and prevent any further transmission of HIV.\u201d<\/p>\n

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