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Review
. 2013 Jul;63 Suppl 2(0 2):S155-60.
doi: 10.1097/QAI.0b013e31829871fb.

Preventing HIV among young people: research priorities for the future

Audrey Pettifor  1 , Linda-Gail Bekker, Sybil Hosek, Ralph DiClemente, Molly Rosenberg, Sheana S Bull, Susannah Allison, Sinead Delany-Moretlwe, Bill G Kapogiannis, Frances Cowan; HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) Adolescent Scientific Committee
Affiliations
Review

Preventing HIV among young people: research priorities for the future

Audrey Pettifor et al. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2013 Jul.

Abstract

Objective: To review the current state of knowledge on the prevention of sexual transmission of HIV in adolescents and to highlight the existing gaps and priority areas for future research.

Background: A disproportionate burden of HIV infections falls on adolescents, a developmental stage marked by unique neural, biological, and social transition. Successful interventions are critical to prevent the spread of HIV in this vulnerable population.

Methods: We summarized the current state of research on HIV prevention in adolescents by providing examples of successful interventions and best practices, and highlighting current research gaps.

Results: Adolescent interventions fall into 3 main categories: biomedical, behavioral, and structural. The majority of current research has focused on individual behavior change, whereas promising biomedical and structural interventions have been largely understudied in adolescents. Combination prevention interventions may be particularly valuable to this group.

Conclusions: Adolescents have unique needs with respect to HIV prevention, and, thus, interventions should be designed to most effectively reach out to this population with information and services that will be relevant to them.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts: Hosek: FHI 360 supported travel to HPTN ASC meeting where paper was conceptualized. Cowan: rec'd support for travel to attend HPTN meeting; has a number of grants/grants pending (UNFPA, DfID, PSI Zimbabwe, UK MRC). Delany-Moretlwe: %FTE on HPTN 068. Rosenberg: NIH-Training program and center grants (T32 HD007168 R24 HD050924)

References

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