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Abstract

Most studies examining HIV antiretroviral medication treatment adherence involve quantitative surveys. Although these studies have identified factors associated with medical adherence, no single variable or combination of variables is sufficiently consistent to apply to any individual or group of people. Using qualitative methods, an ethnically diverse sample (N=110) of HIV+ women, men who have sex with men, and male injecting drug users in four U.S. cities were interviewed in depth to elicit their experiences, perspectives, and life contexts regarding knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and experiences with HIV medication adherence. Most described multiple influences on medication-taking behavior, describing adherence as a dynamic phenomenon that changes over time with their changing beliefs, attitudes, emotions, and daily and larger life events. Prevalent themes include ambivalence toward HIV medication and intentional nonadherence, usually to address physical side effects. Factors from different domains (e.g., cognitive, emotional, interpersonal) can have compensatory influences on behavioral outcomes. Findings are discussed in terms of social action theory, contributing to our theoretical understanding of the phenomenon of adherence.

Longitudinal Antiretroviral Adherence in HIV+ Ugandan Parents and Their Children Initiating HAART in the MTCT-Plus Family Treatment Model: Role of Depression in Declining Adherence Over Time

“…These high levels of adherence confirm findings in other resource-limited settings (Byakika-Tusiime et al 2005;Fong et al 2003;Landman et al 2003;Laniece et al 2003;Laurent et al 2004;Laurent et al 2005a, b;Nachega et al 2004;Orrell et al 2003;Oyugi et al 2004;Remien et al 2003;Weidle et al 2002;Weiser et al 2003). Our findings contrast with those of Merenstein et al (2008), who found an inverse relationship between adherence and the number of children in the family.…”

“…While most studies have shown high levels of adherence to ART in resource-constrained settings Bisson et al 2008;Byakika-Tusiime et al 2005;Diabate et al 2007;Etard et al 2007;Fong et al 2003;Landman et al 2003;Laniece et al 2003;Laurent et al 2004;Laurent et al 2005a, b;Mills et al 2006b;Nachega et al 2004;Orrell et al 2003;Oyugi et al 2004;Remien et al 2003;San Lio et al 2008;Tadios and Davey 2006;Weidle et al 2002;Weidle et al 2006;Weiser et al 2003) there has been little discussion about how HIV? women balance the demands of adherence to HIV ART, childcare, and antiretroviral adherence among their children who are HIV-infected.…”

Facilitators and barriers to medication adherence in an HIV prevention study among men who have sex with men in the iPrEx study in Chiang Mai, Thailand

“…This corresponds with research documenting that the relationship between research staff and participants mutually influenced positive attitudes toward the study (Rao, Kekwaletswe, Hosek, Martinez, & Rodriguez, 2007;Remien et al, 2003). These factors also influenced participants' altruistic feelings and the hope that a successful study would positively impact their MSM community and society at large, creating a strong commitment to building medication management skills.…”

Four Types of Barriers to Adherence of Antiretroviral Therapy are Associated with Decreased Adherence Over Time

“…While we acknowledge that challenges patients face in adhering to ART are fluid and dynamic in nature (12), this study did not demonstrate marked changes over time. However, it is important to note that while this study is one of the first to examine patient barriers longitudinally, the duration of the study interval may not have been long enough to capture the changes in barriers we would expect to see among patients currently taking ART.…”