HIV Prevention Strategies for Adolescent Girls

Adolescent girls represent a population at heightened risk of HIV infection owing to biological vulnerability, gender norms and socioeconomic inequities. Effective prevention demands a combination of biomedical measures—such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), adolescent-friendly testing services and evolving vaccine candidates—with behavioural interventions focused on sexuality education, condom negotiation skills and empowerment curricula. Structural approaches address underlying drivers through social protection schemes, cash transfers, food security programmes and initiatives to reduce intimate partner violence. Integrative strategies that engage families, schools and communities, alongside digital health platforms, peer mentoring and mass media campaigns, have shown promise in enhancing uptake and adherence. Tailoring interventions to local epidemiology, cultural context and developmental stage ensures both relevance and sustainability at scale.

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HIV Prevention Strategies for Adolescent Girls publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in hiv prevention strategies for adolescent girls across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP): Daily or event-driven antiretroviral medication taken by HIV-negative individuals to prevent acquisition of the virus.

Cash transfer intervention: Unconditional or conditional financial payments to individuals or households designed to alleviate poverty and modify health-seeking or risk behaviours.

Structural intervention: Programmes that alter social, economic or environmental contexts—such as education policy or social protection—to reduce vulnerability to HIV.

Transactional sex: Sexual relationships in which sex is exchanged for money, gifts or other material support, often heightening HIV risk.

Intimate partner violence (IPV): Physical, sexual or emotional harm by a current or former partner, which can impede HIV prevention and care.

Age-disparate sex: Sexual partnerships with a significant age gap, frequently associated with power imbalances and elevated infection risk.

References

1. Assessing the durability of a cash transfer on physical intimate partner violence and sexual relationships among adolescent girls and young women in rural South Africa. Social Science & Medicine (2024).
2. Protective factors for adolescent sexual risk behaviours and experiences linked to HIV infection in South Africa: a three-wave longitudinal analysis of caregiving, education, food security, and social protection. BMC Public Health (2023).
3. Impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on adolescent pregnancy and school dropout among secondary schoolgirls in Kenya. BMJ Global Health (2022).