Brazilian adolescents infected by HIV: epidemiologic characteristics and adherence to treatment.
Over the last 3 decades since the first AIDS cases appeared, we have witnessed great progress in therapeutic methodologies that have transformed the evolution of the disease from debilitating and fatal, into chronic and controllable. HIV-infected children are arriving at adolescence and bringing specific challenges, not only to themselves, but also to their families and caregivers. This retrospective study sets forth epidemiological and treatment characteristics of 46 HIV-infected adolescents followed in a specialized university service relating said characteristics to therapy adherence assessed through a combination of three indirect methods. Therapy adherence did not reveal any association with either epidemiologic characteristics regarding age, sex, school level, household composition, age at diagnosis, mode of infection, knowledge of diagnosis, treatment time, or initial antiretroviral scheme. Patients with good therapy adherence presented lower viral load and used a smaller number of antiretroviral schemes.
Machado
Julia K C
JK
Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Santa Casa de Sao Paulo School of Medicine, Sao Paulo, Brazil. jkcatunda@hotmail.com
Sant'Anna
Maria J C
MJ
Coates
Veronica
V
Almeida
Flavia J
FJ
Berezin
Eitan N
EN
Omar
Hatim A
HA
D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019562:Viral Load