The HIV PrEP injection (injectable PrEP): what to know
Long-acting injectable PrEP is a new form of HIV prevention — an injection every couple of months, or twice a year, instead of a daily pill. Here’s how it works, how well it protects, who it’s for, and where it’s up to in Australia.
For years, PrEP in Australia has meant a daily pill. Now there’s a newer form — long-acting injectable PrEP — that delivers HIV protection through an injection given every couple of months, or in one case just twice a year. It’s an exciting development, but there’s an important catch: while it’s been approved in Australia, it isn’t yet routinely available. Here’s the full picture, and what your options are today.
What is injectable PrEP?
PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is medicine taken by people who don’t have HIV to protect them from getting it. Until now, PrEP in Australia has meant a tablet every day. The PrEP injection — also called long-acting or injectable PrEP — is a newer form that provides that same protection through an injection given every couple of months, or in one case twice a year, instead of a daily pill.
It’s designed for the same purpose as the pill — preventing HIV — but removes the need to remember a daily dose. Because it’s given by a clinician, it also means a planned visit on a schedule rather than a prescription you manage at home.
How it works
Injectable PrEP works in the same broad way as the pill: it keeps a protective level of medicine in your body, so that if you’re exposed to HIV, the virus can’t establish an infection. The difference is that the injectable forms are “long-acting” — formulated to release slowly and stay at protective levels for weeks or months from a single dose, rather than being cleared within a day like a tablet.
Because of this, it’s given on a schedule: an initial phase to build up protection (sometimes with a short lead-in of tablets to check it suits you), followed by ongoing injections at set intervals. Keeping to the schedule matters, because protection depends on getting each dose roughly on time.
The two injectable options
Two long-acting injectable PrEP options have been approved in Australia. They differ mainly in how often they’re given:
| Option | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Two-monthly injection | Every 2 months | After two starter doses about a month apart, then an injection every two months. |
| Twice-yearly injection | Every 6 months | The longest-acting option — two injections a year — with a short course of starter tablets when beginning. The most recently approved. |
Both are given by a clinician, and both offer an alternative to the daily pill for people it suits.
Potential benefits over the daily pill
Injectable PrEP won’t be right for everyone, but for many people it offers real practical advantages:
- No daily pill to remember — protection that doesn’t rely on taking something every day.
- Discretion — no packet of tablets to carry or store, which can matter for privacy.
- Helpful if pills are difficult — for people with pill fatigue, or who find daily tablets or stomach side effects a problem.
- Steady protection between doses — once given, it keeps working without daily effort.
The main trade-off is attending for injections on schedule — more clinic visits than the pill for some people — so the best choice depends on what suits your life. It’s a different option, not automatically a better one.
How effective is it?
In large clinical trials, long-acting injectable PrEP was highly effective at preventing HIV. Because it removes the challenge of remembering a daily tablet, some trials found it worked at least as well as — and in certain groups better than — the daily pill, largely because steady protection doesn’t depend on day-to-day adherence. The twice-yearly option in particular showed very high protection across a diverse range of people in its trials. Like all PrEP, it protects against HIV only.
Who it’s for
Injectable PrEP is for people who don’t have HIV and want to protect themselves from it — the same groups who benefit from oral PrEP, including people who find a daily pill hard to maintain. Approvals in Australia set eligibility around age and weight (for example, the twice-yearly option is approved for people aged 16 and over weighing at least 35 kg), and you need to be HIV-negative to start.
Is it available in Australia yet?
This is the key point right now: injectable PrEP has been approved for use in Australia but is not yet routinely available to the community. Regulatory approval means the products are recognised for use here — but that’s a separate step from being widely supplied and subsidised. Health organisations are calling for the injections to be subsidised through the national system so they’re affordable, and rollout is still being determined.
In practice, that means you generally can’t simply book an injectable PrEP appointment today the way you can for the daily pill. The situation is moving, though, and injectable PrEP is expected to become accessible over time.
Cost and subsidy
Because injectable PrEP isn’t yet routinely available in Australia, there isn’t an established everyday price for it here, and how it will be subsidised is still being decided. Advocates are pushing for it to be subsidised so cost isn’t a barrier — as daily oral PrEP already is. Until that’s settled, the affordable, accessible option is daily oral PrEP, which remains subsidised for eligible people.
What to do while you wait
While injectable PrEP makes its way to full availability, you don’t need to go unprotected:
- If you’re already on oral PrEP, keep taking it — it’s highly effective, and you can switch to the injection later if it suits you.
- If you’re considering PrEP, you can start daily oral PrEP now for reliable protection, rather than waiting for the injection.
- Keep up regular HIV and STI testing, which is part of using any form of PrEP safely.
- Want to be told when the injection arrives? You can let the clinic know and we’ll share clear information on eligibility and cost once it’s available.
The bottom line: the PrEP injection is a genuine step forward, and it’s coming — but it isn’t routinely available in Australia just yet. In the meantime, effective, subsidised protection is already here in the form of the daily pill, and a Specialist GP can help you work out what fits your life.
Common questions
Is injectable PrEP available in Australia yet?
Not routinely, yet. Long-acting injectable PrEP has been approved for use in Australia — meaning it’s recognised for use here — but that’s separate from being widely supplied and subsidised, which is still being worked out. For now you generally can’t book an injectable PrEP appointment the way you can for the daily pill. Daily oral PrEP remains available and subsidised in the meantime.
When will the PrEP injection be available?
There isn’t a set date — it depends on supply and on decisions about subsidy and rollout, which are still in progress. Health organisations are calling for it to be subsidised so it’s affordable. The situation is moving, and injectable PrEP is expected to become accessible over time.
How much will injectable PrEP cost?
There isn’t an established everyday price in Australia yet, because it isn’t routinely available, and how it will be subsidised is still being decided. Until that’s settled, the affordable, accessible option is daily oral PrEP, which is already subsidised for eligible people.
How effective is injectable PrEP?
In large clinical trials, long-acting injectable PrEP was highly effective at preventing HIV. Because it removes the need to remember a daily tablet, some trials found it worked at least as well as — and in certain groups better than — the daily pill, largely because steady protection doesn’t depend on daily adherence.
Who can have injectable PrEP?
It’s for people who are HIV-negative and want to protect themselves from HIV, including those who find a daily pill hard to maintain. Approvals set eligibility around age and weight — for example, the twice-yearly option is approved for people aged 16 and over weighing at least 35 kg. You need an HIV test to confirm you’re negative first, and a clinician checks whether it suits you.
Does injectable PrEP protect against other STIs?
No — like oral PrEP, it protects against HIV only, not other STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea or syphilis. That’s why regular STI testing stays important while using any form of PrEP, and why condoms still have a role.
References & sources
- Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM). PrEP guidelines and updates. ashm.org.au
- Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Prescription medicines registrations. tga.gov.au
This article is general information only and is not a substitute for personal medical advice. Details of injectable PrEP’s availability and subsidy in Australia are changing; check current guidance for the latest position. Written and clinically reviewed by Dr Edward (Ed) Skinner (MBBS, FRACGP; AHPRA MED0001674680) and last reviewed on 24 September 2026.