A Champion for the Dual Prevention Pill: The Advocacy Chronicles with Ruth Akulu

Dear Advocate,

We’ve got PrEP. We’ve got contraceptives. But what impact would there be on reducing HIV diagnoses if PrEP and contraception were rolled into one? The development of products and programs that integrate HIV prevention with other critical health-care needs is on the cusp of a new chapter. With advances in the development of the Dual Prevention Pill (DPP), a focus now on the role of multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs) and how to integrate HIV services with sexual & reproductive health (SRH) is a must. The right conversations and the right commitments will speed investment and innovation in delivering a new paradigm in prevention: one that offers an integrated, person-centered experience for people who need prevention and want solutions that work for them.

So, what are MPTs, and what is the DPP?

An MPT refers to a single product (think condoms) designed to simultaneously address more than one health need (think prevention of both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections). Condoms are the only MPT on the market today. But the DPP may soon change that. Now in late-stage development, the DPP combines an oral PrEP formulation with an oral contraceptive, preventing both transmission of HIV and pregnancy in one pill. Our next episode of the Advocacy Chronicles features the work of an unstoppable advocate who mobilized government action to prepare for the introduction of the DPP while also establishing a groundbreaking new initiative for ongoing engagement between regulatory authorities and young women representing their communities.

•	Listen to The Advocacy Chronicles with Ruth Akulu to learn what the DPP could mean for young women in Uganda and how Ruth undertook the work to advance her advocacy.

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Attending AIDS 2024? Hear Ruth Akulu in person and participate in an interactive workshop on practical steps to prepare for the DPP on Wednesday July 24 at Two for the Price of One: Simplifying Access to HIV Prevention and Contraception with MPTs. Want more on the DPP? Check out these other sessions too.

The field has arrived at a moment when advances in research and development for integrated products can and must be supported and sustained. And these integrated products must be matched with integrated programs, designed by and for the people who need them most. We hope these resources support and inspire your work.

Best,

AVAC

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