BackgroundAdherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is beneficial in reducing the risk of emergence of HIV resistant strains. Adherence to ART among Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) is influenced by several factors related to the patient, the medication, and health facilities. In Togo, previous studies on adherence to ART have reported good adherence to ART during the first year of follow-up. However these may hide many disparities dues to cultural specificities which may differ across geographic areas of the country. We sought to determine the level of adherence to ART and document the associated factors among PLWHA at the regional hospital of Sokodé, Togo.MethodsThis was an analytical cross-sectional study conducted from May to July 2013 at the regional hospital of Sokodé among 291 PLWHA who had been on ART for at least three months before the study.ResultsA total of 291 PLWHA on ART were enrolled in the study. The mean age (±SD) was 37.3 ± 9.3 years and the sex ratio (Male/Female) was 0.4. Among them, 195 (67.0%) were living with their partners and 210 (72.2%) had formal education. Two-thirds (194/291; 66.7%) of the PLWHA interviewed lived in urban areas. The global adherence to ART was 78.4%; the factors associated with ART adherence were: level of education (aOR = 3.54; p = 0.027), alcohol consumption (aOR = 0.43; p = 0.033), ART perception (aOR = 2.90; p = 0.026) and HIV status disclosure to sexual partner (aOR = 7.19; p ≤ 0.001).ConclusionAlthough the level of adherence to ART in this study was higher than those reported in some studies in Sub-Saharan Africa, it remains sub-optimal and needs improvement. This may therefore hinder the implementation of efficient interventions related to access to ART services.

Objective This study aimed to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with self-medication in dermatology in Lomé, Togo. Methods We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study from February to April 2016 in 2 dermatology departments in Lomé. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were carried out to identify possible factors associated with self-medication. Results A total of 711 patients were included in the study. The mean age (±SD) of the patients was 26.6 ± 6.9 years and the sex ratio (male/female) was 0.6. The main dermatologic diseases recorded were immunoallergic dermatoses (39.7%) and infectious skin diseases (22.6%). Two-thirds (481/711; 66.7%) of the patients had practiced self-medication before consultation in dermatology units. In multivariate analysis, factors associated with self-medication were female sex (aOR = 1.44; 95% CI = [1.01, 2.05]), duration of dermatologic disease more than one year (aOR = 1.79; IC = [1.19, 2.68]), adnexal dermatoses (aOR = 2.31; 95% IC = [1.03–5.21]), keratinization disorders (aOR = 4.23; 95% CI = [1.36–13.13]), and fungal skin infections (aOR = 5.43; 95% CI = [2.20, 13.38]). Conclusion Our study confirms that self-medication practice is very common among patients with dermatologic diseases in Lomé and has identified associated factors.

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