Joana Falcão|Allison Zerbe|Claude A. Mellins|Joanne E. Mantell|Kirsty Brittain|Bill Kapogiannis|Eduarda Pimentel De Gusmão|Teresa Beatriz Simione|Elaine J. Abrams
The secret life of young adolescents living with HIV in northern Mozambique - a mixed methods study
Columbia University|Columbia University|New York Psychoanalytic Society and Institute|Columbia University|New York Psychoanalytic Society and Institute|Columbia University|University of Cape Town|Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development|Columbia University|National Directorate of Geology|Columbia University
abstract background mozambique hiv infection remains leading cause adolescent mortality advances antiretroviral treatment art population adolescents living verticallyacquired hiv growing studies adolescents living hiv alhiv focus older youth horizontal infection part larger study examined characteristics health care needs younger alhiv including verticallyacquired infection inform preventive interventions methods used convergent mixedmethods design recruited alhiv aged 1214 years enrolled hiv care three health clinics nampula mozambique 11201932020 conducted 61 quantitative surveys 14 indepth interviews purposively selected subset alhiv aware hiv status descriptive statistical analysis conducted quantitative data qualitative data transcribed analyzed using thematic analysis results median age alhiv 13 years 50 female 67 lived 1 parent 70 lost parent 100 school 10 relationship 3 initiated sexual activity among 31 alhiv aware serostatus median age antiretroviral treatment art initiation 8 years iqr 611 55 received caregiver support art management 35 reported missing 1 art dose last 30 days 6 disclosed hivstatus friends 48 reported one talk hivspecific issues four main themes emerged qualitative interviews alhiv learning ones hivpositive status beginning secret life b importance caregivers support art management c high value alhiv peer support overcome isolation increase hiv literacy support adherence unmet needs sexual reproductive health education conclusion hivrelated secrecy prevails among alhiv situation exacerbated caregivers healthcare providers caregivers play major role supporting adherence among young alhiv yet alhiv could also benefit adolescentfriendly services including peer support sexual reproductive health services preparation independent health management integrating programs art services mozambique may critical promoting alhiv health