Trauma-informed HIV prevention for forcibly displaced adolescents and young adults

The number of people forcibly displaced due to conflict is rising rapidly each year. Previous studies have documented associations between mental ill health, HIV risk, and poor engagement with HIV care in conflict-affected populations. Most people forced to migrate are adolescents and young adults, who might already be affected by a high burden of mental ill health due to factors such as high trauma exposure during the developmental period. Adolescent girls (aged 15-19 years) and young men (aged 20-24 years) are highly vulnerable populations for HIV acquisition. Trauma and migration stress can further exacerbate the burden of mental ill health on forcibly displaced adolescents and young adults. Given the high level of vulnerability this population faces, delivery of trauma-informed HIV prevention to this group is crucial, through combined mental health and HIV interventions that are tailored to their unique developmental and socioenvironmental contexts. Trauma-informed HIV prevention is key to controlling and ending the HIV epidemic among adolescents and young adults affected by crises.