Adolescents who were infected at birth or via blood products as young children follow a unique clinical course that may differ from other adolescents and long-term surviving adults. Physicians should refer to the treatment guidelines for detailed information about the treatment of HIV-infected adolescents. This document will propose disease management strategies that incorporate the DHHS treatment recommendations and are tailored to adolescents. These studies help evaluate promising therapies to fight HIV infections, prevent and treat the opportunistic infections and cancers associated with AIDS, and reconstitute HIV-damaged immune systems. Recruiting adolescents into clinical trials is important to ensure that research results will be applicable to therapy for that age group.
Most clinical trials are open to adolescents, but in reality very few enroll.
Researchers will learn about disease progression in adolescents by examining a number of immunological and virological factors. The results of this study are expected to assist researchers and policy makers in developing the agenda for future adolescent clinical trials. Participants must be between the ages of 12 and 18, have a healthcare provider, and have been infected through sexual contact or injection drug use. Both services operate from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. Spanish-speaking specialists are available.