Dual Prevention Pill: Integrating services and expanding choices

May 6, 2022

Advocates are coming together from several fields to plan for the introduction of the Dual Prevention Pill (DPP). Currently in development, this daily pill would prevent both HIV and pregnancy. Once approved, the DPP would be an important new option in a menu of choices for contraception and HIV prevention, paving the way for additional multi-purpose prevention technologies (MPTs) in the pipeline. Advocacy to ensure these options become real choices will be essential.

In April, AVAC and FP2030 convened a consultation with family planning (FP) and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) stakeholders to understand their unique perspectives on the DPP. The consultation put a spotlight on key questions and issues that will inform planning for DPP introduction, the development and delivery of future MPTs and, hopefully, accelerate the integration of SRH and HIV prevention programs.

The consultation identified key issues including the need to:

  • Understand the market for the DPP. Demand is expected from a segment of the market of women looking for contraception and HIV prevention.
  • Program health services to allow for method switching. Individual women may change what contraception they prefer at different times in their lives.
  • Educate providers, partners and communities about the DPP in the context of HIV prevention and contraception. Overcoming stigma and community acceptance are fundamental to supporting women to use the DPP and other prevention methods.
  • Expand, integrate and demedicalize health services now, and include access to oral PrEP in particular, which will create a model for increasing access to the DPP and other MPTs.

Learn more with the resources below!