HIV-infected women: barriers to AZT use.
AZT has become a mainstay drug in efforts to slow disease progression in HIV-infected individuals. Further, recent evidence indicates that AZT use by pregnant infected women and their neonates may reduce the risk of vertical transmission. In a study of HIV-infected women's treatment-related behavior, attitudes toward the use of this drug were examined. Data were gathered through unstructured interviewing techniques. The data from the first 71 women accrued revealed that negative attitudes towards its use were widely prevalent. Women viewed the drug as highly toxic, prescribed indiscriminately, inadequately tested in women and minorities, promoted for the wrong reasons and inappropriate while they were feeling well. The findings suggest that removing attitudinal barriers to the use of AZT will be important to both primary and secondary prevention efforts.
Siegel
K
K
Department of Social Work, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Gorey
E
E
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology / Q000635:transmission; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000208:ethnology; D012494:Sampling Studies; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology; D016387:Women's Health; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D015215:Zidovudine