Adherence to antiretroviral therapy in low socioeconomic status community sample

Abstract

The study reports on antiretroviral treatment adherence in a KwaZulu-Natal sample with a follow-up period of 20 months. Participants were 498 predominantly Black females living with HIV and AIDS. Four-hundred and ninety-six of the participants (91.6%) were found to be adherent and 42 (8.4%) as non-adherent patients. Self-report data on adherence were collected. The results suggested that adherence was predicted by knowledge of HIV medications interact with alcohol and street drugs, negative evaluations of side effects from medications, routine interruptions from taking medications, and lower experience of symptoms. Screening tools to assess patients at risk for non-adherence could probe these four areas.