Medication Adherence Among Adolescents With HIV: A Case Study of Social Work Interventions

Abstract

The number of adolescents living with HIV is increasing globally. Within the United States, there are over 40,000 youth, 13–24 years old, living with HIV infection. Adherence to antiretroviral medication among this population is critical to promote health and decrease the risk of secondary HIV transmission. However, only approximately one-third of adolescents adhere to their HIV medications. Social workers are in a unique position to help support adolescents and their families with medication adherence. The authors describe a case study of the introduction of social work services to a cohort of high-risk youth who previously did not have access to a pediatric social worker. Three case examples are included to illustrate the wide array of family needs and strengths as well as social work interventions used to promote medication adherence as measured by immune functioning and viral load. Significant improvements in CD4 counts and viral loads were found following the implementation of social work services. Findings indicated that individualized social work interventions can improve medication adherence and the subsequent health of adolescents living with HIV.