Moderated Effects of Latinx Ethnicity for a Stepped-Care, Technology and Counseling-Based Intervention (Positive STEPS) on Antiretroviral Adherence and Viral Load Suppression Among Youths With HIV, United States, 2018‒2023.

This article focuses on a secondary analysis of the Positive Strategies to Enhance Problem-Solving Skills (Positive STEPS) intervention, a stepped-care, technology and counseling–based program designed to improve antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and viral load suppression among adolescents and young adults (AYA) with HIV in the United States. The analysis examined whether Latinx ethnicity moderated the intervention's effects, finding that Latinx participants randomized to Positive STEPS experienced equal or greater improvements in ART adherence and viral suppression compared with non-Latinx peers, despite facing unique behavioral and psychosocial barriers. The intervention, implemented from 2018 to 2023 in Providence, Boston, and Chicago, used personalized text reminders and cognitive behavioral therapy sessions tailored to adherence needs. These findings suggest that Positive STEPS may effectively address disparities in HIV treatment outcomes among Latinx AYA, though further research is needed to assess its applicability in broader geographic and cultural contexts.