Compliance with AZT treatment regimen of HIV-seropositive injection drug users: a neglected issue.
Although treatment with zidovudine (AZT) is now recommended for asymptomatic and symptomatic HIV-infected persons with CD4+ cell counts of 0.20 to 0.50 x 10(9)/L and under, data gathered from a small convenience sample of current and former injection drug users with AIDS in the New York City metropolitan region suggest that noncompliance with HIV/AIDS-related therapeutic regimen may be common in this population. This paper enumerates the reasons for noncompliance offered by these informants, reviews the general literature on treatment compliance to identify additional potential reasons for non-adherence to AZT treatment regimen, and outlines some suggestions for future research into this important issue that may prompt changes in the antiviral delivery system.
Freeman
R C
RC
Division of Alcoholism, Drug Abuse, and Addiction Services, New Jersey State Department of Health, USA.
Rodriguez
G M
GM
French
J F
JF
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012106:Research; D018401:Sample Size; D012494:Sampling Studies; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015215:Zidovudine