The HIV Positive Adolescent in a Pandemic Year: A Point of View

In the HIV/AIDS Regional Center from Iasi, Romania, over 1440 patients are closely followed-up. A small percent <1% (12 patients) of cases are represented by adolescences between 14 and 18 years old. The majority of those (10 cases) are adherent and compliant with the treatment. None of the patients is a drug abuser and one patient acquired the infection through vertical transmission. The COVID-19 pandemic, paradoxically, increased the adherence and compliance to treatment, mainly because it seems that the HIV infected adolescent acknowledge the fact that good health can shield them from an unknown enemy. In these pandemic times, they experienced anxiety and depression, but they kept a closer contact through telemedicine with their physician, and most importantly, they required a sustained session, also through telemedicine, with the psychologist. The red thread of their discussion was focused on their fear, insecurities, and lack of control and the fact that they experienced the feeling of abandonment caused by the absence of interpersonal interaction with their support group.