Barriers and Facilitators to Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Among Peruvian Adolescents Living with Hiv: a Qualitative Study

Jerome T Galea, Milagros Wong, Maribel Muñoz, Emiliano Valle, Segundo R. Leon, Dayana D. Perez, Lenka Kolevic, Molly Franke

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

AIDS deaths among adolescents are increasing globally. This qualitative study investigated the barriers and facilitators to cART adherence among Peruvian adolescents living with HIV. Guided by a social ecological model, we analyzed transcripts from 24 psychosocial support groups for HIV-positive adolescents aged 13–17 years and 15 individual, in-depth interviews with cART providers and caregivers to identify the barriers and facilitators to cART adherence at the individual, family/caregiver and hospital levels. Most barriers and facilitators to cART adherence clustered at the individual and family/caregiver levels, centering on support provided to adolescents; history of declining health due to suboptimal cART adherence; side effects from antiretroviral drugs; and cART misinformation. Interventions to support adolescent HIV cART adherence should begin at the individual and family/caregiver levels and include an educational component. No adolescent living with HIV should die from AIDS in an era of accessible cART.

Original languageAmerican English
JournalPLOS One
Volume13
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 2018

Disciplines

  • Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • Social Work

Cite this