HIV-positive adolescents, who face isolation, ostracization, and confusion as they transition to adulthood, need sensitive and directed guidance to an adult healthcare provider, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Clinicians should follow four steps to guide HIV-positive teens to successfully maintain their healthcare: create a formal, written transition care plan, start communications about HIV status and transition around age 12, make the transition between 18 to 25 years of age, and document and evaluate the transition upon completion, the AAP outlined in a policy statement published online in Pediatrics.
“Pediatricians and adolescent and family medicine providers have a pivotal role in facilitating seamless and effective transition at a very vulnerable and anxious time of life for both HIV-infected youth and their families,” wrote Russell B. Van Dyke, MD, FAAP, and Rana Chakraborty, MD, for the AAP’s Committee on Pediatric AIDS. “These essential transitional activities can improve health outcomes for HIV-infected adolescents.”
Kathleen Struck
Senior Editor
MedPage Today
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