FDA Approves First Injectable Medication to Lower HIV Risk

Candles form the shape of a ribbon as part of an awareness event on the occasion of World AIDS Day in Siliguri, India, on Dec. 1, 2018. Diptendu Dutta/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the first injectable medication to lower the risk of contracting HIV, or the human immunodeficiency virus.

HIV attacks the body’s immune system and causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) if not treated.