The Adherence Connection for Counseling, Education, and Support (ACCESS) intervention, a peer-led, mobile health cognitive behavioral ART adherence program, improves adherence to ART for adolescents and young adults (AYA) with HIV, according to a study published in AIDS and Behavior. Ann-Margaret Dunn Navarra, PhD, MPhil, MS, and colleagues developed and tested the five-session ACCESS intervention in HIV-positive AYA aged 16-29 with unsuppressed plasma HIV RNA; 16 participants received 78 peer-led remote video conferencing sessions. Completion rates (97.5%) and client satisfaction scores (mean, 29.13 of 32) were high. The researchers observed an improvement in self-reported ART adherence (32% increase in doses taken), with an annualized average reduction rate of 47.5% in HIV viral load. “The combination of technology and peer health coaches is highly promising for HIV behavioral science and has the potential to improve clinical treatment and prevent transmission in this population,” Dr. Navarra said in a statement.
