Hope and Healing for Youth at Risk for HIV

HIV may not be in the news much anymore, but it certainly hasn’t gone away. As Connecticut Children’s Physician-in-Chief Juan Salazar, MD, says, it’s a “forever problem” for now. In 2020, there were 10,665 people in Connecticut living with HIV. There is both good and bad news about HIV nationally and here in Connecticut.

The good news

People with HIV are living longer, thanks to early detection and effective viral suppression treatment. In 2020, 65% of people living with HIV in Connecticut were aged 50 or older.
New HIV diagnoses have been steadily declining. In Connecticut, new diagnoses dropped by 44% between 2010 and 2019.
In the last 10 years, there has been a 71% decrease in injection drug use reported as the mode of HIV transmission.

Now for the not-so-good news:

In 2020, 20% of all new HIV diagnoses nationwide were among young people aged 13 to 24.
Nearly 40% of new HIV infections are transmitted by people who don’t know they have the virus.
Black and Hispanic individuals are 27% of Connecticut’s population, but 65% of people living with HIV in the state.

No Vaccine on the Horizon Anytime Soon

Scientists are actively researching potential vaccines and clinical trials are ongoing. But a vaccine is not just over the horizon according to Dr. Salazar. Fortunately, we still have some pretty powerful tools at our disposal: education, prevention, and testing. For the past 20 years, Dr. Salazar has been working with Connecticut Children’s and UConn Health’s Pediatric, Youth and Family HIV Program to reduce HIV infections and save lives in Connecticut. Their results are nothing short of amazing.

The program has provided 60,000 students with lifesaving HIV prevention and education. Program staff take interactive educational programming directly into schools across the state to increase awareness of the behaviors that put youth at risk for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy, bullying, substance abuse, intimate partner violence, and other dangers. The program provides one-on-one counseling sessions and confidential HIV screenings. This programming is particularly critical for students who don’t have access to school-based health clinics.

In the Lab: Juan Salazar, MD, Physician-in-Chief at Connecticut Children's

Prioritizing Routine HIV Screening

Adolescents and young adults are the least likely of any age group to be aware of their HIV status, and they have the lowest rates of linkage to HIV care. This age group also accounts for only 14% of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) users. PrEP is a daily medication that helps prevent HIV infection in individuals who are at high risk of exposure. Incorporating HIV screening into routine health care is an effective way to lower infection rates, so Connecticut Children’s Emergency Department and Adolescent Primary Care Centers offer routine testing and PrEP to youth aged 15 to 24.

As a result, more than 1,300 adolescents have been tested for HIV and nearly 50 enrolled in PrEP Navigation. PrEP Navigators provide education and counseling, help individuals connect with health care providers, monitor medication adherence, and offer emotional and social support.

Making Screening and Support Accessible

The Pediatric, Youth and Family HIV Program operates a community clinic in downtown Hartford. This street-level clinic is on a bus line for accessibility and has provided a safe space for thousands of people to walk in and receive HIV testing, prevention, education, PrEP Navigation, recovery groups, medical case management, and a wide range of support services. In addition, the program helps families and individuals with challenges that get in the way of better health. Dozens of families have been placed in emergency housing over the years, and many more have received help for mental health struggles, substance abuse, and sexually transmitted infections that complicate HIV prevention and treatment.

Early detection, treatment, and viral suppression decrease the spread of HIV. While there is no cure or vaccine yet, the Pediatric, Youth and Family HIV Program has helped reduce infection rates in Connecticut—and saved countless lives.

We are grateful to The Owenoke Foundation for their generous, 20-year support of the Pediatric, Youth and Family HIV Program. HIV research and programs face an urgent threat as federal funding is reduced, making philanthropy more important than ever to sustaining innovation and saving lives.

Connecticut Children's pediatric experts are advancing care for kids—Thanks to people like you.

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Hope and Healing for Youth at Risk for HIV

The good news

Now for the not-so-good news:

No Vaccine on the Horizon Anytime Soon

Prioritizing Routine HIV Screening

Making Screening and Support Accessible

We are grateful to The Owenoke Foundation for their generous, 20-year support of the Pediatric, Youth and Family HIV Program. HIV research and programs face an urgent threat as federal funding is reduced, making philanthropy more important than ever to sustaining innovation and saving lives.

Connecticut Children's pediatric experts are advancing care for kids—Thanks to people like you.

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