March 3, 2026Open Access

The results of a web-based randomized controlled intervention trial to improve antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among Youth with HIV (YouTHrive, ATN 135) during the COVID-19 pandemic

Key Points

ART adherence did not improve among youth with HIV in the study.
Viral load metrics did not show significant changes, indicating possible intervention challenges.
Randomized controlled trial evaluated the YouTHrive intervention amidst pandemic-related disruptions.
Future research should address methods to reduce pandemic impacts on similar studies.

Abstract

The YouTHrive intervention did not improve ART adherence or HIV viral load in this sample of youth. However, substantial changes to study procedures made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to these findings. Teams conducting similar studies in the future should consider ways of mitigating the impacts of possible future pandemics or similar disruptions early in their timeline to consider the impacts of changes to the study.Trial Registration: The study is registered as a clinical trial (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03149757).

The results of a web-based randomized controlled intervention trial to improve antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among Youth with HIV (YouTHrive, ATN 135) during the COVID-19 pandemic

Key Points

Abstract

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