The study explored the uptake, persistence (continuing to receive treatment on schedule) and preferences for the use of preventive HIV medications – known as pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP – taken as an injection into the muscle or orally in tablet form.
The first results from MOBILE MEN have shown that the long-acting injectable PrEP (called cabotegravir or CAB-LA) helped men who travel for work stay on HIV prevention for longer than oral PrEP.
Professor Julie Fox, Professor of HIV and Sexual Health at King’s College London, who led the study, said: “Men who travel for work in Sub-Saharan Africa are at increased risk of HIV but historically have not been included in pivotal HIV prevention trials. Knowing how to deliver effective HIV prevention to this key group is vital to ending HIV.”
Researchers enrolled participants through mobile clinics at taxi ranks, construction sites, and truck stops in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, and through referrals from fishing communities to a clinic in Masaka, Uganda.
The study was led by Professor Julie Fox at King’s College London and delivered in partnership with Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, the Africa Health Research Institute, the Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and University College London.
MOBILE MEN was conducted in two stages. First, 400 HIV-negative men were randomly assigned to receive either oral PrEP or long-acting injectable PrEP for nine months. Men taking oral PrEP could choose between daily dosing or event-based dosing (around the time of sexual activity). During a second nine-month period, participants were free to choose which type of PrEP (oral or long-acting injectable) they preferred.
Overall, persistence on PrEP (continuing to take PrEP throughout the study period) during the first, randomised stage was 22%. When comparing the two PrEP groups, persistence was significantly higher among men receiving long-acting injectable PrEP than those taking oral PrEP (28% versus 16%). For those taking oral PrEP, event-based PrEP (alone or alternating with daily dosing) was preferred to daily-only dosing overall.
The study also found that same-day HIV self-testing and starting injectable PrEP was feasible.
Researchers also evaluated cost-effectiveness of the two PrEP strategies, the feasibility of HIV self-testing, sexually transmitted infections and HIV outcomes – with analysis of these data still ongoing.
Dr Eugene Ruzagira of the Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Uganda Research Unit, who presented the new findings at AIDS 2026 on behalf of the Mobile Men study group (pictured above), said: "As new prevention tools become available, ensuring that services are flexible and responsive to people's needs will be critical to reducing new HIV infections across sub-Saharan Africa."
Professor Limakatso Lebina, Director of Science at the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), said: “I am so excited to see some of the results of the MOBILE MEN study being presented at the 26th International AIDS Conference. This was one of the most innovative clinical trials we have implemented at AHRI – involving a decentralised clinical trial site using a mobile clinic at a taxi rank. Thank you to all our collaborators, stakeholders, participants and funders on this great partnership.”
A key milestone of the MOBILE MEN study was the sharing of results with participating communities at the same time as the presentation at the AIDS 2026 conference. These sessions acknowledged participants' contributions, provided an opportunity to discuss the findings, and reinforced the study's commitment to community-centred research.