Adherence to antiretroviral therapy among women with HIV infection.
OBJECTIVE
The overall objective of this secondary analysis was to examine self-reported adherence to antiretroviral therapy in a sample of women with HIV.


METHODS
The primary study used survey methodology.


METHODS
The setting included a university-based HIV/AIDS clinic in southwestern Pennsylvania and a community-based HIV/AIDS clinic in eastern Pennsylvania.


METHODS
Sixty-one women infected with HIV who were taking protease inhibitors.


METHODS
Self-reported adherence was based on responses to two questions: whether the person had missed a dose of her medications within the past 24 hours, and how many pills the person had taken on time as scheduled (none, very few, a few, about half, most, nearly all, all of them).


RESULTS
Adherence ranged from 60% to 75%. Two thirds (65.6%) of the sample thought that their medications were helping them; three fifths (57.4%) thought that it was dangerous to miss a dose of their medications.


CONCLUSIONS
Adherence in this sample was less than perfect, suggesting the need to develop, implement, and test interventions to promote better adherence to antiretroviral medication regimens among women with HIV.
Erlen
Judith A
JA
University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, PA 15261, USA. jae001@pitt.edu
Sereika
Susan M
SM
Cook
Robert L
RL
Hunt
Susan C
SC
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010414:Pennsylvania; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors