Public response following the introduction of a new HIV prevention shot: a sentiment and topic modeling study

Online platforms or social media connect billions of people globally, allowing interaction and sharing of information. The result of these connections yields a massive amount of data that can be explored by methods such as sentiment analysis to provide insight into public attitudes. This study explored the sentiment surrounding the HIV injection lenacapavir by analyzing comments from some of the largest social media platforms (Facebook, YouTube, Reddit and news channels). These reviews were extracted two days after the world's first FDA-approved HIV prevention shot was announced on 18 June 2025. The examination employed a three-pronged sentiment analysis and topic modeling. The study found an overall positive polarity in public sentiment with lingering skepticism among 1601 comments. The sentiment analysis also revealed ten themes that are of keen concern to the public and strategies for addressing them.