Complementary medicine use by people living with HIV in Australia – a national survey

Braun, Lesley; Forrester, Catherine; Rawlins, Matthew; Levy, Russell; Penm, Jonathan; Graham, Marissa M; Mackie, Kathryn; Aran, Sohileh; Bridle, Sylvia; Bailey, Michael; Duncan, A. J.

doi:10.1177/0956462415573122

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…‐ 8 , 16 , 17 People with chronic diseases or comorbidities such as cancer, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders or mental illness frequently use complementary medicines 16 . A study of 10 011 Australian women aged 59–64 years found that 39% of those with menopausal symptoms consulted complementary medicine practitioners, and that 75% used self‐prescribed complementary therapies; 18 53% of 1037 people with HIV attending specialist clinics also used complementary medicines 19 . As many as 65% of Australian people with cancer in 2010 used some form of complementary medicine, more than half of whom did so in combination with conventional therapy 20 .…”

Section: Trends In Usementioning

confidence: 99%

“…specialist clinics also used complementary medicines. 19 As many as 65% of Australian people with cancer in 2010 used some form of complementary medicine, more than half of whom did so in combination with conventional therapy. 20 A similar finding was made in a study of 4500 Australians aged 50 years or more; 46.3% of the participants used complementary medicines, of whom 87.4% used them alongside conventional therapy.…”

Section: Trends In Usementioning

confidence: 99%

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What risks do herbal products pose to the Australian community?

Byard

Musgrave

Bunce³

2017

Medical Journal of Australia

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Traditional herbal products are widely used in Australia to treat a broad range of conditions and diseases. It is popularly believed that these products are safer than prescribed drugs. While many may be safe, it is worrying that the specific effects and harmful interactions of a number of their components with prescription medications is not well understood. Some traditional herbal preparations contain heavy metals and toxic chemicals, as well as naturally occurring organic toxins. The effects of these substances can be dire, including acute hepatic and renal failure, exacerbation of pre-existing conditions and diseases, and even death. The content and quality of herbal preparations are not tightly controlled, with some ingredients either not listed or their concentrations recorded inaccurately on websites or labels. Herbal products may also include illegal ingredients, such as ephedra, Asarum europaeum (European wild ginger) and endangered animal species (eg, snow leopard). An additional problem is augmentation with prescription medications to enhance the apparent effectiveness of a preparation. Toxic substances may also be deliberately or inadvertently added: less expensive, more harmful plants may be substituted for more expensive ingredients, and processing may not be adequate. The lack of regulation and monitoring of traditional herbal preparations in Australia and other Western countries means that their contribution to illness and death is unknown. We need to raise awareness of these problems with health care practitioners and with the general public.

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Section: Trends In Usementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Trends In Usementioning

confidence: 99%

What risks do herbal products pose to the Australian community?

Byard

Musgrave

Bunce³

2017

Medical Journal of Australia

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“…CM are also known as 'traditional' or 'alternative' medicines and include substances such as vitamins, minerals, herbal remedies, aromatic oils and homeopathic products [49]. The use of CM among PLHIV is common [50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65]. In a recent survey of Australians living with HIV (n=1211), 53% of respondents reported they had used one or more CM in the 12 months prior to the study, 50% in the previous week [52].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, this study did not specifically seek views of HIV positive individuals. Studies that have explored CM use among PLHIV have mainly focused on providing prevalence data [51][52][53][54][55][56][57]61,65], while those that have sought to understand the beliefs underpinning use have been conducted overseas in countries that may differ from Australia in areas such as access and cultural norms [62,65]. Of the limited number of studies that sought to understand motivation for CM use among PLHIV in Australia, the majority involved small participant numbers [53,58,64].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Yes to Recreational Drugs and Complementary Medicines But No to Life-Saving Medications: Beliefs Underpinning Treatment Decisions Among PLHIV

et al. 2019

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Despite the life-preserving benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART), some people living with HIV (PLHIV) delay, decline or diverge from recommended treatment while paradoxically being willing to use potentially dangerous substances, such as recreational drugs (RD) and complementary medicines (CM). During 2016 and 2017, interviews were conducted with 40 PLHIV, in Australia to understand drivers underpinning treatment decisions. While many believed ART to be effective, they expressed concerns about long-term effects, frustration over perceived lack of autonomy in treatment decisions and financial, emotional and physical burdens of HIV care. In contrast, they ascribed a sense of self-control over the use of RD and CM, along with multiple professed benefits. The perceived burden of ART emerged as a motivator for deviating from recommended treatment, while positive views towards RD and CM appear to justify use. This study may serve as guidance for the development of future strategies to address barriers to treatment uptake and adherence and subsequently health outcomes for PLHIV in Australia and elsewhere.

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“…The most common uses of CAM reported by PLWH were for general well-being, to increase immune function, to reduce side-effects of ART, and to address comorbid disorders. 9,10 Generally, PLWH have reported various benefits from CAM use, and health risks associated with the majority of CAM treatment options have been relatively rare. 11 Patients have also reported that CAM helped them cope with their HIV diagnosis, increased their feeling of control, and improved HIV treatment outcomes.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use for HIV Management in the State of Florida: Medical Monitoring Project

Kelso-Chichetto

Okafor

Harman

et al. 2016

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

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Objective: The aims of this study were to describe complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use and to assess the relationships between CAM use and antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RNA viral load suppression among a sample of persons living with HIV (PLWH) engaged in care in the state of Florida.Design: The Florida Medical Monitoring Project (n = 803) collected repeated cross-sectional data for surveillance of clinical outcomes among PLWH from 2009 to 2010. Past-year CAM use specifically for the management of HIV was measured via self-report. Logistic regression models were conducted to assess the effect of CAM use on ART adherence and viral load suppression, controlling for demographic and clinical factors using backwards stepwise deletion of factors with a p-value of >0.25.Results: CAM use was reported in 53.3% (n = 428). In bivariate analysis, CAM use was the highest among those 40-49 years of age (61%; p < 0.05), males (56%; p < 0.01), whites (61%; p = 0.001), and those educated beyond high school (59%; p < 0.05). Among those using CAM, 63% and 37% reported one and two or more CAM modalities, respectively. CAM modalities included biologically based therapies (89%), mind-body medicine/manipulative body-based therapies (30%), spiritual healing (23%), energy therapies (6%), and whole medical systems (6%). In multivariable analyses, any CAM use and number of CAM methods used were not associated with ART adherence. Any CAM use was not associated with detectable viral load (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.58-1.12; p = 0.20). Those using two or more methods had significantly decreased risk for detectable viral load (aOR 0.60; 95% CI 0.39-0.92; p < 0.02).Conclusions: CAM use was not associated with negative effects on ART adherence. CAM users were less likely to have detectable viral load compared with non-users. Future research should focus on CAM use among PLWH not engaged in HIV care and the longitudinal patterns of CAM use and possible effects of long-term health outcomes.

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Complementary medicine use by people living with HIV in Australia – a national survey

Cited by 9 publications

References 17 publications

What risks do herbal products pose to the Australian community?

What risks do herbal products pose to the Australian community?

Yes to Recreational Drugs and Complementary Medicines But No to Life-Saving Medications: Beliefs Underpinning Treatment Decisions Among PLHIV

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use for HIV Management in the State of Florida: Medical Monitoring Project

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