Large numbers of children with perinatal HIV infection are entering adolescence, a period of rapid and complex physical and emotional growth and development. These youth are faced with a broad array of health and behavioral challenges as a consequence of complications of the disease and its treatment. Practitioners are now challenged with both defining and meeting these health needs to ensure a safe and successful passage into adulthood.
In this March 2015 ICAP Grand Rounds Webinar, Elaine Abrams, MD, of ICAP at Columbia University, presented on HIV treatment for adolescents. Dr. Abrams reviews global estimates for adolescents, 10-19 years of age, living with HIV infection; describes biomedical, as well as psychosocial and behavioral outcomes of adolescents with perinatal HIV infection; and identifies the contributions of HIV, antiretroviral treatment (ART), and the developmental stage of adolescence to health outcomes among adolescents with perinatal HIV infection.
