PHACS began in 2005 to address two critical pediatric HIV research questions:

• What is the long-term safety of fetal and infant exposure to antiretroviral therapy (ART)?
• What are the effects of perinatally acquired HIV infection in adolescents

PHACS conducts three major studies:

SMARTT, which follows HIV-negative children exposed to ART in utero or in the first months of life:

• Examines the occurrence of abnormalities among these children in multiple domains.
• Includes more than 3,000 children who are under active follow-up.
• Enrolls an open cohort of approximately 300 newborns per year to allow for study of exposures to new combinations of ART.
• Includes a control group of approximately 200 HIV-uninfected children at 1, 3, 5, or 9 years of age born to HIV-uninfected mothers; the study used funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2010 to add this group.

AMP, which is examining the impact of HIV infection and treatment on pre-adolescents and adolescents:

• Investigates several domains of health and development in HIV-infected and uninfected children born to HIV-infected mothers
• Includes approximately 700 children and adolescents between 7 and 15 years of age.
• Is now closed to new enrollment. 

AMP UP, which continues the goals of AMP in youth 18 years of age and older by emphasizing mobile technologies for some of the follow up.