Adolescent HIV Screening and Opt-Out Testing as a Standard of Care

Abstract

Despite the significant steps made in the diagnosis and treatment of HIV, there is still a notable amount of people living with HIV without being diagnosed, with a fair portion of these infections occurring in adolescents and young adults. For some individuals, by the time they are diagnosed they are living with advanced-staged disease, missing the opportunity for receiving antiretroviral treatment that would have markedly reduced their morbidity, mortality, and risk of transmission to others. Opt-out testing, or notifying the patient the test will be performed unless explicitly declined or deferred, increases the rates of testing while reducing the stigma of the disease. It is a universal recommendation for those between ages 13 and 55 years to have an HIV screening test. It should be standard of care for HIV tests in the adolescent population to be structured as an opt-out screening in both the ambulatory and acute care settings. [ Pediatr Ann . 2024;53(4):e111–e113.]