Adolescents are being left behind. Globally, AIDS-related deaths fell by almost 40 per cent between 2005 and 2013 for all age groups except adolescents (aged 10–19 years), where our best estimates indicate that AIDS-related deaths are increasing. Gaps in available empirical data make it difficult to explain this with confidence, but there is concern that a lack of access to testing and treatment could explain, in part, why AIDS-related deaths among adolescents are not decreasing along the same trajectory as all other age groups. Prevention efforts need to be intensified and targeted.
More focused implementation of interventions that work for adolescents most at-risk and vulnerable to HIV is needed, including for adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa, and adolescent key populations globally. Stigma and ignorance about HIV, along with policy and legal barriers (such as age of consent or punitive laws), make accessing treatment and prevention services difficult or impossible for many adolescents. This is a particular issue for key affected populations, including adolescent males who have sex with other males, transgender women, adolescents who inject drugs and adolescents who are sexually exploited. Stepping up the response for the unidentified and unsupported.
(From UNICEF / Children and AIDS)
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