Adolescence, this period of life difficult to forget between 13 and 19 years old, is a period of exploration and development. For many teens, this is the time when they begin to discover their sexuality and their gender identity. This process, like any exploration, involves certain risks, but it becomes much more risky due to the lack of access to appropriate resources. A new article, which reviewed current research on American adolescents and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), found th at this high-risk demography requires far more attention than it does ; receives it.
PrEP is a game-changer in the global HIV epidemic. By taking the drug, which consists of antivirals that keep HIV from attaching to human immune cells, people at risk of acquiring HIV sexually reduce their risk by 99% every day, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But access to PrEP and the stigma around it have created significant barriers for almost all groups in need of the drug, including adolescents. Adolescents, especially LGBTQ + adolescents and those facing other forms of discrimination, are fighting a difficult battle to obtain adequate sexual health care to prevent them from contracting HIV, the new study
find. For some, PrEP may be just what they need.
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The FDA first approved PrEP for use in adults 18 years of age and older in 2012. Most recently, in 2018, the FDA extended its approval of the class of drugs to people 13 to 18 years of age. An HIV specialist with Johns Hopkins, doctors and health researchers has not done enough for adolescents and young adults who would benefit from PrEP. Despite the high risk, the prescribing rate of PrEP for young people is lower than it should be.
"I happen to be … a caregiver who cares for adolescents with HIV infection," she says. "Too often, (we see HIV positive teens first) when they are newly or recently diagnosed." Agwu says this shows missed opportunities to prevent PrEP infection.
The new article specifically examines studies of people aged 13 to 19 who have recently contracted HIV. More than 1,700 people in this population were recently diagnosed in 2018, the most recent year for which data is available. They are a sub-group of the 12-24 year old age group which accounted for more than 7000 new infections in 2018, 21% of all new infections that year. Young African Americans who have sex with men are underrepresented in the studies analyzed by the new review. This is despite the fact that this sub-population accounts for two thirds of all new HIV infections between 13 and 19 years of age.
Despite overwhelming evidence that at-risk youths contract HIV, "adolescents and primary care physicians do not routinely offer HIV testing as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or They regularly assess exposure to Patient's sexual risks through collecting sexual history, wrote Agwu and colleagues in the journal.
At the same time, there is not enough research on how to prevent HIV in adolescent populations, especially those most at risk. Agwu's research points to four areas in which providers can make inroads in their patients: ask questions about sex, test for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections when indicated, and offer options that correspond to the sexual identity of a young person. , which includes the supply of PrEP, if available.
"You don't have to be a specialist to be able to prescribe PrEP," she says. Pediatricians and family doctors can prescribe it – the problem right now is that professionals feel comfortable having it in their toolbox.
"Although it is a review document and does not present new test data, it is very important that, through publications, the media, etc. , we remembered that we should continue to promote HIV prevention options for young people, "wrote Sybil Hosek, a psychologist at Cook County Stroger Hospital in Illinois who studies adolescents and HIV. "The document identifies (the) need for training to improve the confidence and comfort of healthcare providers with PrEP as a prevention tool and their willingness to discuss and prescribe it if necessary."