Iranian qualitative study explores adolescents’ participation in NGO HIV prevention services

A descriptive qualitative study published in BMC Public Health examined participation in HIV/AIDS prevention services offered by Iran’s NGO-run Adolescent Well-being Clubs. Researchers collected data from October to December 2020 through four focus groups involving 26 teenagers and 17 in-depth interviews. Overall, participants included 36 adolescents described as having high-risk behaviors and seven club managers. Sessions took place in person in Tehran or online for participants in other cities, with conventional content analysis used to identify themes.

Reported influences included adolescent developmental challenges, access to health and social services, stigma and discrimination, and organizational practices. Trust, collaboration, opportunities for participation, service quality, and an environment that respects adolescents emerged as important considerations. The authors proposed involving adolescents in program design and decision-making and developing culturally sensitive, inclusive services.

These findings may inform how clinicians and community organizations engage adolescents in HIV prevention, but they do not establish that any particular strategy increases service use or reduces HIV transmission. The qualitative design and purposeful adolescent sampling limit generalizability, and the data reflect experiences collected in 2020. Funding came from Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education; the authors reported no funder role in the research or publication decision and no competing interests.