The outcome of intervention, characteristics, and determinants of treatment failure in HIV-infected adolescents on first-line antiretroviral therapy at a tertiary health institution, in South-east Nigeria

Background: The adolescent phase of life is characterized by the desire for independence, experimentation, and heightened peer influence. These may affect HIV prevention, care, treatment, and support in adolescents. Objective: This study was aimed at determining the outcome of intervention and factors responsible for treatment failure among adolescents on first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART). Materials and Methods: It was an interventional cohort study that studied 88 adolescents on ART. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data on sociodemographics. Assessment of adherence was done by pill count and self-reports. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to quantify the amount of HIV RNA in participants. Results: A total of 22 (25.0%) out of 88 adolescents had viral load assays of ≥1000 copies/ml despite being on first-line ART for a mean period of 5.70 ± 3.21 years. After enhanced adherence counselling (EAC) of three months, 10 (44.5%) of the 22 adolescents achieved viral suppression (