title: Attitudes toward antiretroviral therapy among African American women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine attitudes and beliefs of African American women of childbearing age, living with HIV, about pregnancy and antiretroviral therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Focus groups were conducted using an exploratory design with a convenience sample of HIV-infected women in 2 southeastern cities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-three African American women of childbearing age participated in 5 focus groups. Attitudes and beliefs about antiretroviral therapy were related to the women's willingness to comply with treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The challenge for health care providers is to counter women's willingness to "play the odds" of having a noninfected baby without taking antiretrovirals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion and Education, Norman J. Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia 29208, USA. drichter@sph.sc.edu
authors.forename: Donna L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Sowell
authors.forename: Delores M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Pluto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000208:ethnology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015144:Southeastern United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents