Regarding youth, the observed tendency underscores the need to explain to young people what to expect while on therapy and how to manage side effects and adherence problems. Reflecting their lack of visibility in the epidemic as a whole, adolescents are one of the most underrepresented populations participating in HIV medical research. The result of this lack of representation in the research process is an overall dearth of information on HIV disease in adolescents, including whether disease progression or response to HIV medications differs in adolescents. In some areas, adolescent minors may be able to provide informed consent to participate in HIV research on their own, while other areas may require a parent's or guardian's consent. An Integrated Approach To be truly successful, care for HIV-positive adolescents must entail a holistic, or multidisciplinary, approach that addresses young people's emotional and social needs, in addition to providing medical treatment.
Adolescence is a unique and vulnerable time in the lives of most people.
Many adolescents with HIV are dually or triply diagnosed with substance abuse and mental health problems that may need to be treated before their HIV disease can be dealt with adequately. Information should be given proactively, as adolescents may not ask questions on their own. Such information also should be delivered to adolescents in appropriate language, and followed up with written information when possible. Instructions regarding medications and other services need to be given as specifically as possible, using real-life examples, as adolescents often think in concrete terms. In addition to involvement from medical and social service providers, peer counseling from other HIV-positive youth, who can give practical and emotional support, can be extremely valuable to the adolescent dealing with the enormous stress of being young and positive.