This is intended for US audiences only.

PURPOSE 3 Study FAQs

What is the purpose of this study?

This clinical study is being conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of an investigational medicine, lenacapavir, to reduce the chance of getting HIV through sex—also known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

What is the difference between sex assigned at birth and gender identity, and what do “cisgender,” “transgender,” and “gender nonbinary” mean?

Sex assigned at birth and gender are separate entities. When we are born, we are assigned a sex based on our biological characteristics. Most of us are assigned male or female, with a small number being intersex (having biological characteristics of both male and female). After we are born, we begin to develop gender identity, which is one’s internal sense of being a man, a woman, neither, or both. Some of us are cisgender, meaning that our sex assigned at birth and gender identity are the same. Others of us are transgender, meaning that our sex assigned at birth and gender identity are not the same. Still others of us do not identify with either traditional gender category, and may identify as gender nonbinary, gender-fluid, or a third gender.

PURPOSE 3 will enroll cisgender women who have sex with partners assigned male at birth.

For more information, consider visiting https://transstudent.org/GENDER/

What do you mean by “may qualify”?

Your answers to the questions in the online prescreening form will determine if you meet certain key criteria that are required to participate in the PURPOSE 3 study. If you meet these criteria, you may then contact a participating doctor’s office of your choice using their contact details on our website. Their staff will answer any questions you may have and will discuss the next steps to further determine whether you meet all of the criteria for participation. Not all people who complete the online prescreening form will be able to participate in this study.

What can I expect if I choose to participate?

If you meet the criteria in the prescreening form and then contact a participating doctor’s office, you will have a single visit where the staff at the doctor’s office will ask you to review and sign an informed consent form that explains more about the study. During that visit you will get an HIV test and other lab tests. Then the staff at the doctor’s office will ask more questions and run some medical tests to see if you meet all eligibility criteria to participate in the clinical research study. If you do not have HIV and meet the other eligibility criteria, you can choose to participate in the study. If you are confirmed to have HIV, we will link you to HIV care in your community.

Feel free to discuss your study-related medical care with the study doctor or staff at any time during the course of the research study. It is important to take the investigational medicine as prescribed. You will answer questions regarding how you feel during your participation and whether the investigational study medicine has been taken at the appropriate times. Participants are encouraged to discuss study participation with their primary care doctor.

How many study visits are there?

The study will last for at least 1 year and up to 2.5 years. The visits are 4-13 weeks apart, with 4-8 visits per year.

How many people will participate in this study?

Approximately 250 people across the United States will be enrolled in PURPOSE 3. This study is looking for cisgender women who have sex with cisgender men and are at least 18 years old.

Will compensation be provided?

Reimbursement for study-related travel is available depending on your local practice.

Will I have to pay for anything if I participate?

If you participate, study-related doctors' visits, monitoring of your health, and the study medicine will be provided to you at no cost. You do not need health insurance to participate. The study staff at the participating site will be able to answer any questions you may have.

Does my primary care doctor have to give his or her permission for me to participate in the PURPOSE 3 study?

The choice to participate in this study is entirely yours. Your primary care doctor does not have to give permission or a referral for you to participate in this study. However, you should tell your primary care physician about your participation and keep them informed about the study. You should also keep the study doctor informed if your primary care physician changes or if there are other changes to your health during the study.

What are the risks of being in this study?

You could experience side effects associated with the study medicine. The study staff will discuss the known risks in detail with you before you decide whether to participate.

What happens after this study?

After a clinical study is complete, all of the information is collected and analyzed to help determine the study medicine’s safety and efficacy. Please consult with your study doctor or primary healthcare provider to determine your HIV prevention options after completing the study.

Who is conducting this study?

The PURPOSE 3 study is being conducted by trained, qualified, and licensed medical doctors across the United States.

Who is sponsoring this study?

PURPOSE 3 is a collaboration between Gilead Sciences, Inc, the HIV Prevention Trials Network, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health. Gilead Sciences, Inc. is developing the study medicine and sponsoring the clinical trial. GILEAD is a trademark of Gilead Sciences, Inc. All other trademarks referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners.

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What’s in It for You?

People who qualify to take part in the PURPOSE 3 study can expect to:

  • Be a part of determining whether an investigational injectable PrEP medicine reduces the chance of getting HIV through sex
  • Receive study drug and monitoring from a local study doctor at no cost
  • Receive compensation for your time completing study-related procedures
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PURPOSE 3 Questionnaire

Thank you for your interest in participating in the
PURPOSE 3 study.

Answer these 4 questions to see if you may be eligible to take part in the study:

Your privacy matters to us. Note that your answers will only be used to let you know whether or not you qualify, and will not be stored or tracked in any way.

You may not qualify, but there are still ways you can help!

You can still help us in our mission by sharing our PURPOSE 3
study with others.

You may qualify!

If you want to learn more about participating in PURPOSE 3,
use our site finder to contact a study site in your area.