Brief communication: awareness, knowledge, and attitudes towards long-acting injectable HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis among high-risk female university students in Uganda

Abstract Long-acting injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (LAI-PrEP) was recently added to Uganda’s PrEP guidelines, however, awareness among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), a key population, remains unclear. We conducted a cross-sectional study among AGYW studying at Makerere University. Awareness of LAI-PrEP was low (13%), and only 14% demonstrated adequate knowledge. 40% reported willingness to use LAI-PrEP if freely available. Awareness was associated with on-campus residence ( p = 0.016) and transactional sex ( p = 0.009) while adequate knowledge was associated with higher year of study (all p < 0.05). Limited awareness and knowledge may hinder uptake. Targeted campus-based education and integration into existing HIV services are needed.