[Do HIV patients know their treatment?].
Optimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in HIV disease is one of the key factors for its efficacy.


OBJECTIVE
The authors had for aim to assess HIV infected patients' knowing of their ART and the correlation with a controlled HIV viral load.


METHODS
We conducted a transversal study. Outpatients were asked at the beginning of a consultation to give the name, the dosage, and the color of their medication.


RESULTS
93 patients were included with a mean age of 45.6 years. 25.8% were AIDS patients and 82.8% had an HIV viral load under 50 copies/ml. The mean duration of treatment was 6.23 years and the latest treatment had been given for 2.26 years. They took an average of 2.6 different drugs and 5.4 pills per day. 22.6% used a pillbox. 90.3% of the patients bought their treatment by themselves and 86% prepared it. The name of all the drugs was known in 68.8%, doses in 90.3%, and colors in 83.9%. In univariate as in multivariate analysis, the use of a pillbox improves the knowledge of the dose (P = 0.01). AIDS patients know the names better (P = 0.02). In univariate and multivariate analysis, knowledge of dosage was correlated to a controlled viral load (P = 0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
HIV patients know their treatment well and the knowledge of the dose could be a marker of adherence to ART as it is associated with a controlled viral load.
Denes
E
E
Service des maladies infectieuses et tropicales, CHU Dupuytren, 2, avenue Martin-Luther-King, 87000 Limoges, France. eric.denes@unilim.fr
Rogez
J-P
JP
Weinbreck
P
P
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D019562:Viral Load
D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents