Interest in long-acting injectable ART among adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV in Cameroon: Implications for implementation in developing countries

Long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy (LAI-ART) has the potential to transform HIV treatment for adolescents with perinatal HIV infection (APHI). Given the existing knowledge gaps surrounding this recent strategy, we aimed to assess interest in LAI-ART among ART-experienced APHI in Cameroon. We conducted a cross-sectional study among ART-experienced APHI aged 10–19 years, across four paediatric HIV clinics in the Centre region of Cameroon. Data were collected from 4 to 30 November 2024 using structured questionnaires to assess sociodemographic characteristics, awareness of, and interest in LAI-ART. HIV-1 viral load (VL) and CD4 cell counts were measured during the same period. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with interest in switching to LAI-ART. Of 248 participants (48.8% female; median [IQR] age 15 [13–17]), 40.0% lived with a guardian and 75.8% had partial/full HIV-disclosure; 3.2% reported stigma. Clinically, 77.5% were in multi-month ARV-dispensation (MDSD) and 28.2% had poor ART-adherence; fear of injection was none/moderate/high in 73.4%, 15.7% and 10.9%, respectively. Viral undetectability (VL