Increasing HIV testing among adolescents
Among adolescents living with HIV, 80 percent live in sub-Saharan Africa. And young people ages 15-24 15–24 make up almost 40 percent of new HIV infections among adults. Despite this disproportionate burden of HIV, less than one-third of adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa have ever tested for HIV. Furthermore, HIV testing offers an opportunity to establish HIV prevention behaviors, including routine testing and sexual education, for teens and young adults.

Not only did this hybrid approach greatly increasing testing rates, but it also reached adolescents before a time of increased HIV risk—a critical window for prevention. Additionally, expanding this approach to include other HIV services, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis, may provide a platform for reducing HIV incidence among adolescents in rural sub-Saharan Africa.