HIV-infected women's decisions to take antiretrovirals

Despite the potential benefits of antiretrovirals, HIV-infected women may not be accepting or adhering to recommended drug therapies. To help women make informed decisions surrounding antiretroviral therapy, health care professionals need insight into how HIV-infected women decide to take or not to take antiretroviral drugs. The purpose of this study was to describe the influences affecting decisions made by women in the southern United States to accept and adhere to antiretroviral therapy. Focus group data with subsequent dimensional analysis were used to discover themes surrounding antiretroviral decisions among 22 women in two predominantly rural, southeastern states. The focus groups included some women who were currently taking antiretrovirals, some who had taken them in the past, and some who had never taken them. The analyses revealed four overarching themes that influenced women's decisions regarding antiretrovirals: health professionals, beliefs about antiretrovirals, side effects, and attitudes of peers and family.