Table 6 Implications and recommendations from the present study
Domain | Implication or recommendation |
|---|---|
Developmental period | Since it is not typical for emerging adults to manage chronic and stigmatized health conditions along with other developmental challenges, developmentally appropriate resources, services, and supports are vital |
Structural barriers | Structural barriers impede consistent engagement along the HIV care continuum (unstable housing, unemployment, poverty) and financial benefits and support services are needed to overcome them |
Language and immigration | Culturally responsive services are needed, for example, services in one’s primary language as well as immigration support and legal services |
Benefits and services | Federal benefits and the local HIV social services administration are vital and warrant expansion. Since benefit and service levels can wax and wane, research is needed to monitor policy changes and their effects, and advocacy groups may need to consider alternative sources of financial supports and social services when supports are lacking. |
Adverse childhood experiences | Given the high rates of adverse childhood experiences in this population and its negative effects on engagement in HIV care, trauma-informed care is essential, along with efforts to prevent and mitigate such experiences |
LGBTQ community | Opinions regarding the utility of the LGBTQ community and its services were mixed. Since AABL emerging adults living with HIV are diverse, including among those who identify as sexual and gender minority individuals, a range of programming and services is required |
Spanish-speaking participants | Counter-intuitive findings, such as Spanish-speaking participants being more likely to be well-engaged in HIV care than English-speaking persons (most born in the US), suggest challenges inherent in living as an AABL person in the US, which can be studied and mitigated, along with the need to understand resilience |
Community-based research | Community-based research for this population is needed to complement studies in medical settings, since barriers to consistent engagement in HIV care are serious and past lapses in care are common |