Abstract

In 2007, an estimated 14,489 people age 19 and younger were living with HIV or AIDS in the United States, as reported by the 37 states and five U.S. dependent areas with long-term, confidential, name-based HIV infection reporting (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008). Although these diagnoses reflect increasing num-bers of behavioral infections, most young people were perinatally infected (i.e., the virus was passed from mother to child during pregnancy, labor and delivery, or breastfeeding). However, since 1996, perinatal HIV transmissions have decreased to near zero because of advancements in antiretroviral treatments during preg-nancy and labor (Rogers, 2006). Additionally, with the advent of highly active antiretroviral treatments, children with HIV/AIDS are surviving well into adulthood (Wie-ner & Battles, 2006). The aging population of HIV-infected youth suggests a need for managing developmental transitions, such as addressing issues related to intimacy, self-care, and well-being. Understanding these transitions is complicated by the depth and breadth of issues surrounding HIV/AIDS for young people, creating a need to identify promising prac-tices for treatment and interventions (Orban et al., 2010; Steele, Nelson, & Cole, 2007). One nonclinical therapeu-tic intervention outside the formal medical setting is summer camp. However, research on camps for youth with HIV/AIDS is sparse. We addressed the lack of litera-ture in this area by studying the developmental potential of camp, especially the outcomes associated with partici-pation in a camp for youth with HIV/AIDS and the pro-gram processes that influenced those outcomes.