Facilitating Adolescent Access to HIV Interventions Through Age of Access Policy Reform in Africa

Agrata Sharma, Varsha Srivatsan, Yu-Wei Chen, Vishakh Unnikrishnan, Sharonann Lynch, Matthew M. Kavanagh, Sifiso Chikondi

National age of access policies for HIV interventions are guided by the legal definition of adulthood. When out of step with WHO recommendations – 12 years and above for access to HIV testing, prevention, and treatment – such policies can prevent adolescents, including adolescents within key populations, from making their own decisions regarding their health by requiring them to obtain consent from a parent or guardian, which may curtail their sexual and reproductive rights and impede access to vital HIV testing and treatment services.

Here, we examine the national policy on age of access policies by evaluating if adolescents can access HIV testing and treatment without parental consent in Africa.