Factors Influencing Adherence to Antiretroviral Drugs among HIV Positive Young Women and Adolescent Patients in North Central Nigeria

Abstract

The impact of HIV in the world especially in sub-Saharan Africa has led to an extraordinary global effort to ensure adherence to antiretroviral (ARV) therapy to treat the disease in every country where HIV is a threat including Nigeria. However, starting patients on ARVs without ensuring full adherence through an adequate support system is likely to lead to treatment failure and the emergence of drug-resistant virus which can be transmitted to other. Factors influencing adherence to medication are both patients and service provider related. A descriptive, cross sectional study using a systematic sampling technique to select 473 young women and adolescent living with HIV in North central ART clinics in Nigeria. 77% of respondents have been on ARV regimen in the last 3 years. About 82% had good knowledge of medication adherence while 18% do not understand what adherence to medication means. Most (79%) of HIV patient’s adequate adherence to ART while others (13%) usually had stopped taking their medication when they feel better about their health. The commonest source of information about medication adherence to ARV was through the adherence counselor at during ART clinics (77%). Sixty percent of the respondents agreed that adherence to ARV medication helps in improving standard of living Factors that hindered effective adherence to treatment included poor providers’ attitude (28%) and forgetfulness to take their medication and pill burden (25%). Respondents who did not adhere to treatment were less likely to subsequently adhere to ARV medication (OR= 0.258, 95%CI= 0.1-0.5). Use of treatment supporters was the major determinant of medication adherence (OR = 4.2, 95%CI = 1.4-7.2). Majority of the respondents are knowledgeable about medication adherence.