Increased screening for adolescents at high risk of antiretroviral non-adherence: a short and simple evidence-based screening mechanism

This brief summarises new evidence from a longitudinal 4 years, quantitative cohort study of 1046 adolescents living with HIV in South Africa. The research pinpoints the three components, within the widely used HEADSS assessment and HEADSS+ questionnaire, most associated with adolescents’ non-adherence to ART. A screening checklist focused on these three components can be used by practitioners more frequently to assess adolescents in need of extra support for ART adherence. It provides a practical tool offering feasibility and scalability for high-burden health workers and systems. Finally, the identified risk components point to key areas for intervention which can deliver more impactful provision of integrated services.