On 17 October 2025, NHS England announced plans to offer a long-acting cabotegravir injection to around 1,000 people at risk of HIV who could not have oral pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP.
An additional route to prevention
The announcement described treatment through sexual health clinics, with injections every two months. It positioned the option alongside existing prevention services, rather than as a replacement for tablets for everyone.
Why choice of delivery matters
A prevention option is useful only if it is suitable and accessible to the person who needs it. The new route was intended to address circumstances in which oral PrEP could not be used, supporting a more tailored approach.
The wider public health aim
NHS England linked the development to its ambition of ending HIV transmissions by 2030. Individual eligibility and care still require assessment by the relevant service. The official announcement provides the context for this historical update.
