Social/Sexual Networks of People Newly Diagnosed with HIV in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) in Nigeria are ten times more likely to be living with HIV-1 than other young men. Due to stigma and criminalization of same-sex sexual behavior, YMSM sexual networks are likely to overlap with those of the general population, leading to a generalized HIV-1 epidemic. Due to limited research on social/sexual network dynamics related to HIV-1 in Nigeria, our study focused on YMSM and sought to assess the feasibility and acceptability of collecting social and sexual network data in Network Canvas from individuals newly diagnosed with HIV-1 in Ibadan, Nigeria.

A multilevel health system intervention for virological suppression in adolescents and young adults living with HIV in rural Kenya and Uganda (SEARCH-Youth): a cluster randomised trial.

Background: Social and cognitive developmental events can disrupt care and medication adherence among adolescents and young adults living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. We hypothesised that a dynamic multilevel health system intervention helping adolescents and young adults and their providers navigate life-stage related events would increase virological suppression compared with standard care.

Methods: We did a cluster randomised, open-label trial of young individuals aged 15-24 years with HIV and receiving care in eligible clinics (operated by the government and with ≥25 young people receiving care) in rural Kenya and Uganda.

A randomized stepped wedge trial of an intensive combination approach to roll back the HIV epidemic in Nigerian adolescents: iCARE Nigeria treatment support protocol.

Background: Nigeria is one of six countries with half the global burden of youth living with HIV. Interventions to date have been inadequate as AIDS-related deaths in Nigeria's youth have remained unchanged in recent years. The iCARE Nigeria HIV treatment support intervention, a combination of peer navigation and SMS text message medication reminders to promote viral suppression, demonstrated initial efficacy and feasibility in a pilot trial among youth living with HIV in Nigeria.

Using a Designathon to Develop an HIV Self-Testing Intervention to Improve Linkage to Care Among Youths in Nigeria: Qualitative Approach Based on a Participatory Research Action Framework.

Background: UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS) and the Nigeria National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework recommend HIV self-testing and youth-friendly services to enhance HIV testing, linkage to health services, and prevention. However, the voices of youths are seldom incorporated into interventions. We examined qualitative data generated from a series of participatory events in partnership with Nigerian youths focused on enhancing linkage to care.

Adolescent and young adult research across the HIV prevention and care continua: an international programme analysis and targeted review.

Introduction: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to rise in young people among low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports the largest public investment in HIV research globally. Despite advancements in the last decade, adolescents and young adults (AYA) remain underrepresented in research to improve HIV prevention and care.

Effect of HIV stigma on depressive symptoms, treatment adherence, and viral suppression among youth with HIV.

Objective: We estimated the effects of HIV stigma on mental health and treatment outcomes for youth with HIV (YWH).

Design: Secondary analysis of data for YWH ages 15-24 years in Western Kenya.

Methods: Participants completed a longitudinal survey (baseline, months 6 and 12) assessing socio-demographics, antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence, depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), and HIV stigma (10-item Wright scale).

Two or more significant life-events in 6-months are associated with lower rates of HIV treatment and virologic suppression among youth with HIV in Uganda and Kenya.

Youth living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa have poor HIV care outcomes. We determined the association of recent significant life-events with HIV antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation and HIV viral suppression in youth aged 15-24 years living with HIV in rural Kenya and Uganda. This was a cross-sectional analysis of 995 youth enrolled in the SEARCH Youth study.

Mental health and ART adherence among adolescents living with HIV in Mozambique.

Little is known about the mental health needs of adolescents living with HIV (ALWH) in Mozambique, including the potential relationship between mental health challenges and poor antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence. We examined mental health problems (anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD] symptoms and impairment) and their association with self-reported ART adherence among ALWH ages 15-19 in Nampula, Mozambique. The associations between each mental health problem area and sub-optimal adherence were estimated using logistic regression, controlling for age, education, and social support, with interaction by gender.

Evaluation of the iCARE Nigeria Pilot Intervention Using Social Media and Peer Navigation to Promote HIV Testing and Linkage to Care Among High-Risk Young Men: A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

Importance: Nigeria has the fourth-largest HIV epidemic globally, yet high levels of social stigma inhibit HIV testing among Nigerian youths and young men who have sex with men (MSM).

Objective: To report pilot data from iCARE Nigeria (Intensive Combination Approach to Roll Back the Epidemic in Nigerian Adolescents), a combination intervention using social media and peer navigation to promote HIV testing and linkage to care among high-risk youths and young men (hereinafter referred to as young men), including predominantly young MSM.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This nonrandomized controlled study assessed an organizational and community-level 12-month, preintervention-postintervention pilot trial of a combination intervention designed to increase HIV testing uptake, increase the rate of identified seropositive cases, and improve linkage to care among young men, including MSM, using social media outreach and peer navigation.

The CombinADO study to assess the impact of a combination intervention strategy on viral suppression, antiretroviral therapy adherence, and retention in HIV care among adolescents and young people living with HIV: protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Background: Adolescents and youth living with HIV (AYAHIV) have worse HIV outcomes than other age groups, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). AYAHIV in SSA face formidable health system, interpersonal- and individual-level barriers to retention in HIV care, uptake of ART, and achievement of viral suppression (VS), underscoring an urgent need for multi-component interventions to address these challenges. This cluster-randomized control trial (cRCT) aims to evaluate the effectiveness and monitor implementation of a community-informed multi-component intervention ("CombinADO strategy") addressing individual-, facility-, and community-level factors to improve health outcomes for AYAHIV.

Accelerating adolescent HIV research in low-income and middle-income countries: evidence from a research consortium.

Objective: Many adolescents and young adults (AYA) have unmet HIV prevention needs. We describe the Prevention and Treatment through a Comprehensive Care Continuum for HIV-affected Adolescents in Resource Constrained Settings (PATC3H) consortium organization, transition milestones, and youth engagement strategies. The PATC3H consortium focuses on reducing HIV incidence and related health disparities among AYA.

Rates of Sexually Transmitted Infection Diagnoses Among US Youth With Perinatally and Nonperinatally Acquired HIV.

Background: Of new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States, 50% occur among youth aged 15 to 24 years. Previous studies among youth with HIV (YHIV) do not distinguish STI trends among individuals with perinatally (YPHIV) and nonperinatally (YNPHIV) acquired HIV.

Methods: Among 3 Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions (ATN) studies conducted between 2009 and 2015, we estimated incident diagnoses of trichomonal, bacterial, viral, and overall STIs stratified by sex assigned at birth, mode of HIV acquisition (perinatal [YPHIV] and nonperinatal [YNPHIV]), age (13-17 and 18-24 years), CD4 count (<200, 200-499, and ≥500/μL), and HIV viral load (VL) (<400 and ≥400 copies/mL).

The secret life of young adolescents living with HIV in northern Mozambique - a mixed methods study.

Background: In Mozambique, HIV infection remains a leading cause of adolescent mortality. With advances in antiretroviral treatment (ART), the population of adolescents living with vertically-acquired HIV is growing. Most studies of adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) focus on older youth with horizontal infection.

Effect of Text Messaging Plus Peer Navigation on Viral Suppression Among Youth With HIV in the iCARE Nigeria Pilot Study.

Background: Consistent with the global trend, youth with HIV (YWH) in Nigeria have high rates of viral nonsuppression. Hence, novel interventions are needed.

Setting: Infectious Diseases Institute, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

Characteristics of adolescents aged 15-19 years living with vertically and horizontally acquired HIV in Nampula, Mozambique.

Background: Adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) 15-19 years of age are a growing proportion of all people living with HIV globally and the population includes adolescents with vertically acquired HIV (AVH) and behaviorally acquired HIV (ABH).

Methods: We conducted a survey to measure sociodemographic characteristics, educational status, health history, and antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among a convenience sample of ALHIV at three government health facilities in 2019 in Nampula, Mozambique. ALHIV 15-19 years on ART, including females attending antenatal care, were eligible.

Qualitative Study on the Acceptability of and Adherence to a Vaginal Ring for HIV Prophylaxis Among Adolescent Girls.

Objective: This study aims to assess the product-related, relationship-related, and sex-related factors that act as facilitators and barriers to the acceptability of a vaginal ring (VR) for HIV prevention among adolescent girls.

Design: Qualitative study.

Methods: Ninety-six girls aged 15-17 years from 6 urban US sites were enrolled in MTN-023/IPM 030, a 24-week randomized controlled trial, for assessing the safety and acceptability of a dapivirine VR for HIV prevention.

Adolescent participation in HIV research: consortium experience in low and middle-income countries and scoping review.

Adolescents in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) have a high prevalence of HIV, therefore, it is important that they are included in HIV research. However, ethical challenges regarding consent can hinder adolescent research participation. We examined examples from the Prevention and Treatment Through a Comprehensive Care Continuum for HIV-affected Adolescents in Resource Constrained Settings (PATC3H) research consortium, which investigates adolescent HIV prevention and treatment in seven LMICs: Brazil, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia.

Interventions to improve daily medication use among adolescents and young adults: what can we learn for youth pre-exposure prophylaxis services?

Objective: Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an important HIV prevention method and studies have shown that young people ages 15-24 have difficulty adhering to daily PrEP. The field of PrEP delivery for young people is relatively nascent and lessons about potential PrEP adherence interventions could be learned from the larger evidence base of adherence interventions for other daily medications among youth.

Design: Systematic review of adherence support interventions for adolescents.

Fostering successful and sustainable collaborations to advance implementation science: the adolescent HIV prevention and treatment implementation science alliance.

Introduction: HIV continues to devastate the adolescent population in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The complex array of interpersonal, social, structural and system-level obstacles specific to adolescents have slowed progress in prevention and treatment of HIV in this population. The field of implementation science holds promise for addressing these challenges.

The 4 youth by youth HIV self-testing crowdsourcing contest: A qualitative evaluation.

Introduction: Crowdsourcing, a participatory approach to solicit ideas from a large group of diverse individuals, provides an opportunity to nurture youth participation in HIV self-testing service design. The objective of this study was to describe the responses to a crowdsourcing contest aimed at soliciting ideas on how to promote HIV self-testing (HIVST) among young people in Nigeria.

Methods: The "4 Youth by Youth" HIV Self-Testing Crowdsourcing contest was an online and off-line contest that asked Nigerian youth (10-24 years old) for ideas in response to the following: How might we promote HIVST among young people in Nigeria? All data were collected and analyzed between October 2018, and June 2019.