UNAIDS statistics indicate that adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) aged 15-24 years continue to face a significant risk of HIV acquisition. Approximately 4,900 new infections are reported weekly among women in this age group worldwide (1). In 2022, about 27% of the 1.3 million new HIV cases globally were reported among individuals aged 15 to 24 years. Among adults aged 15 years and older, 66% of all new infections occurred in AGYW (2). Despite a 54% reduction in HIV incidence since its peak in 1996, the population of AGYW, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), continues to be a critical demographic for HIV epidemic control (1). The United Nations aims to eliminate the HIV/AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by the year 2030. However, more effort is needed to ensure that AGYW utilize HIV prevention services to achieve this goal.

This Research Topic will address the knowledge, practices, attitudes, and perceptions of AGYW regarding available HIV prevention and treatment methods. Literature has shown limited knowledge of HIV among AGYW, especially in low-to-middle-income countries. The inadequate knowledge of HIV prevention methods may contribute to the high infection rate among this population group. This Research Topic aims to explore factors that influence the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and practices of HIV prevention among AGYW and communities. It will also cover the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and practices of healthcare providers regarding the provision of HIV prevention services to AGYW. HIV prevention will encompass behavioral, biological, and structural methods. This information may help policymakers develop strategies to improve the uptake of HIV prevention services among AGYW, contributing to a reduction in HIV infection.

To gather further insights into the challenges and opportunities within HIV prevention for AGYW, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

· Knowledge of HIV prevention methods among AGYW and associated factors.
· Perceptions and attitudes of HIV prevention methods among AGYW and associated factors.
· Knowledge of HIV prevention methods for AGYW among healthcare workers and associated factors
· Practices and attitudes of healthcare workers regarding HIV prevention methods for AGYW and associated factors.
· AGYW’s experiences with HIV prevention services and associated factors.
· The utilization of HIV prevention services by AGYW and associated factors.
· Knowledge of HIV prevention services for AGYW among communities and associated factors.
· Perceptions and attitudes of HIV prevention services for AGYW among communities and associated factors.
· Strategies that can be used to improve the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and practices of HIV prevention among AGYW.
· Policies that are available to improve HIV prevention services and how successful they have been.

Authors are encouraged to contribute opinion articles, qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods primary research, as well as scoping reviews, literature reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, meta-synthesis, and editorials on these topics.

References:

1. UNAIDS. In Danger: UNAIDS Global AIDS Update 2022. 2022. Available at: https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/documents/2022/in-danger-global-aids-update (Accessed: 19 March 2025).

2. UNAIDS. The path that ends AIDS: UNAIDS Global AIDS Update 2023. 2023 Available at: https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/documents/2023/global-aids-update-2023 (Accessed: 19 March 2025).

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The Prevention of HIV Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women: Leaving No One Behind