[Challenges of treatment adherence by people living with HIV/AIDS in Brazil]
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026

An Affordable HIV-1 Drug Resistance Monitoring Method for Resource Limited Settings
Published on: March 30, 2014
Regina Melchior1, Maria Ines Battistella Nemes, Tatianna Meireles Dantas Alencar
1Departamento de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, PR, Brasil. reginamelchior@gmail.com
Objective:
To analyze the difficulties related to treatment adherence by patients living with HIV/AIDS in highly active antiretroviral therapy.
Methods:
Qualitative research based on 34 interviews with patients under treatment in several outpatient services in the state of São Paulo, in 1998-1999. The group was comprised of people from different socioeconomic levels, gender, length of treatment and varied adherence levels, according to healthcare staff perception. The interviews focused on the patient's narrative about his/her disease. The content analysis classified the difficulties as follows: related to social factors and life styles, including the stigma; related to beliefs about the use of medication; and directly related to the use of medication.
Results:
All the interviewees reported having difficulties concerning the stigma of living with HIV/AIDS. The difficulties related to the use of medication were the most important among patients with the best adherence level. Patients with average adherence level presented all three types of difficulties.
Conclusions:
Social and cultural factors are more difficult to be overcome in order to achieve treatment adherence than those related to taking medication, thus making the role played by the health sector important, supported by clear public social policies. These dimensions must be faced not only in the health sector, but also on social and political levels.
Related Concept Videos
Amebiasis
Retrovirus Life Cycles
Pulmonary Tuberculosis I
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...
Drug Therapy
Antianxiety Medications
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: Affecting Factors
Pulmonary Tuberculosis V
Latent tuberculosis infection occurs when TB bacteria are present in a person's body, but are not causing illness or symptoms. It is not contagious, and preventive treatment is crucial to avoid the progression...

