Many teenagers with HIV are not getting treatment for the disease until the virus is in advanced stages. That’s the finding of a study published this week in the journal Pediatrics. It was a retrospective study of 13 clinic sites around the country, including one in Baltimore. They looked at new patients ages 12 to 24. They looked at teenagers who were infected through behavior, not those who became positive at birth.
It was led by Dr. Allison Agwu, an infectious disease specialist at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. Here, Sheilah Kast talks with Dr. Agwu about the results--and possible reasons behind the delay in getting treatment. She says that not all providers are comfortable talking about HIV testing with teenagers.
Audio for this segment will be available by the end of the day.
