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False Beliefs About ART Effectiveness, Side Effects and the Consequences of Non-retention and Non-adherence Among ART Patients in Livingstone, Zambia

2012; Springer Science+Business Media; Volume: 17; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1007/s10461-012-0221-2

1573-3254

Ikuma Nozaki, Mika Kuriyama, Pauline Manyepa, Matilda K. Zyambo, Kazuhiro Kakimoto, Till Bärnighausen,

HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk

Beliefs about antiretroviral treatment (ART) are crucial for treatment success but not well documented in sub-Sahara African countries. We studied the frequency of false beliefs about ART in 389 ART patients in Livingstone, Zambia. Despite intensive pre-ART counseling, we find that more than half of the patients hold at least one false belief about ART effectiveness, side effects, or the consequences of ART non-retention or non-adherence. Commonly held false beliefs-e.g., pastors can cure HIV infection through prayer and ART can be stopped without harmful effects while taking immune-boosting herbs-are likely to decrease ART adherence and retention.