Black women who received long-acting cabotegravir for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) found it to be feasible and easily accessible, having an overall positive experience, according to interim results of the EBONI trial. The findings were presented at IDWeek 2025 by Katherine L. Nelson, PhD, MPH, of ViiV Healthcare in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The phase 4 study examined cabotegravir PrEP delivery and patient experience among Black women, who mostly identified as cisgender and lived in the United States. Between April 2023 and February 2025, 130 Black women from 19 clinics were asked to complete interim surveys.
“Black women represent about 50% of new HIV diagnoses among transgender and cisgender US women, yet HIV PrEP uptake remains low,” wrote the study authors.
Nelson presented the 4-month access, delivery, and satisfaction results at IDWeek 2025 during a poster session.
The study included women who were a mean age of 37.8 years. Most identified as cisgender and non-Hispanic (78% and 94%, respectively). Moreover, 88% of women reported having sex within the last 6 months but not with HIV-positive partners, and 63% of women didn’t have a sexual partner who was taking PrEP.
Survey results showed favorable accessibility for women. Most reported convenient clinic hours (84%) and no concerns with getting to the clinic every two months (85%). They also found going to the clinic on the 2-month schedule for injections to be acceptable (91%).
Nearly all women (96%) reported positive experiences, with 95% saying that they were good with the frequency of HIV and sexually transmitted infection testing. Quality of life appeared to be unaffected as many of the women reported not being bothered by pain during injection and not too much injection pain after. Ninety percent said they were often or always able to return to their usual daily activities immediately after injection.
The study unveiled the importance of shared decision-making with providers, Nelson said. Black women found that reviewing pros and cons with their provider was helpful to learn about different PrEP options. Together, they were able to determine which was best for them (94%).
Many of the women found it useful to receive injection appointment reminders either via text, email, or phone.
Four months into the trial, Black women described their cabotegravir PrEP experience as highly positive, and almost everyone would recommend it to other people who may benefit from the medication regimen.
Reference
Nelson KL, et al. IDWeek 2025. P-313
