Transitioning behaviourally infected HIV positive young people into adult care: Experiences from the young person's point of view

Abstract

Background. There is limited literature on the transition of young people living with HIV/AIDS (YPLHIV) from adolescent/ young adult HIV care to adult HIV care in sub-Saharan Africa. Objective. We aimed to share the experiences of HIV-seropositive young adults transitioning into adult care, to inform best practice for such transitioning. Methods. We conducted a retrospective evaluation of the transition of 30 young adults aged ≥25 years from our adolescent/ young adult HIV clinic at the Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, to adult HIV healthcare services between January 2010 and January 2012. Results. Six major themes emerged from the evaluation: (i) adjustment to adult healthcare providers, (ii) the adult clinic logistics, (iii) positive attributes of the adult clinic, (iv) transfer to other health centres, (v) perceived sense of stigma, and (vi) patient-proposed recommendations. A model for transitioning YPLHIV to adult care was proposed. Conclusion. There is a paucity of evidence to inform best practice for transitioning YPLHIV to adult care in resource-limited settings. Ensuring continuity in HIV care and treatment beyond young adult HIV programmes is essential, with provision of enhanced support beyond the transition clinic and youth-friendly approaches by adult-oriented care providers.