title: Attitudes to directly observed antiretroviral treatment in a workplace HIV care programme in South Africa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate attitudes to directly observed antiretroviral therapy (DOT ART) among HIV infected adults attending a workplace HIV care programme in South Africa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clients attending workplace HIV clinics in two regions were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  100 individuals (99% male, mean age 40.2 years) participated, 61% were already taking ART by self administration. 71% had previous tuberculosis (TB) with the majority having received DOT for TB. 65% of individuals indicated that they would not like to receive ART by DOT-the main reason given was a desire to take responsibility for their own treatment. This contrasted with 79% who thought TB treatment by DOT a good idea. On questioning about disclosure, 70% reported disclosure to their sexual partners and 21% to fellow workers. 78% of individuals indicated willingness to support someone else taking ART.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ART by DOT was not an immediately popular concept with our patients, primarily because of a desire to retain responsibility for their own treatment. More work is needed to understand what key elements of treatment support are needed to promote adherence.
authors.affiliation: Aragon Consulting, Craighall, South Africa. liesl@aragonconsulting.co.za
authors.forename: Liesl S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Page-Shipp
authors.forename: Salome
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Charalambous
authors.forename: Surita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roux
authors.forename: Belinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: Clement
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sefuti
authors.forename: Gavin J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Churchyard
authors.forename: Alison D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Grant
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D023801:Directly Observed Therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013019:South Africa; D017132:Workplace
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents