Youth in Transition: Life Skills Among Perinatally HIV-Infected and HIV-Exposed Adolescents

Objective To examine mastery of life skills necessary for independent adulthood among perinatally HIV-infected (PHIV+) and perinatally HIV-exposed but uninfected (PHIV-) youth. Methods Participants were recruited from four medical centers in New York City as part of a longitudinal study. Data for this article came from interviews of 150 PHIV+ and 95 PHIV- youth (age 13-24 years) and their caregivers. Life skills mastery was assessed using the Ansell-Casey Life Skills Assessment (ACLSA). Results PHIV+ youth had lower daily living skill mastery than PHIV- youth according to both youth and caregivers, and lower self-care mastery according to caregiver report. No HIV-status group differences were found in social relationships scores, but PHIV- youth had higher scores than an ACLSA benchmark sample. Conclusions PHIV+ youth may need supportive services in daily living and self-care needs to transition into adulthood. Normal-to-high functioning in social relationships may be important for learning to live independently.