Blog Post
Misinformation is coming for the anti-HIV jab. Let’s get ahead of it.
- June 24, 2026
- Brendan Maughan-Brown, PhD, Alison Buttenheim, PhD, MBA, Harsha Thirumurthy, PhD, Candice Chetty-Makkan, PhD
In this op-ed, Dr Brendan Maughan-Brown discusses how misinformation could suppress demand for Lenacapavir, or LEN — the twice-a-year injection that essentially eliminates the risk of getting HIV – what we can do to curb the effects of misinformation, and why the window to get ahead of it is open right now. In an attempt to counter misinformation that could discourage young women from getting the pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, Maughan-Brown and research colleagues Alison Buttenheim and Harsha Thirumurthy created a series of short TikTok videos. The videos are designed to “pre-bunk” misinformation about LEN, preparing audiences to recognise potential misinformation about it before they encounter it online.
