Quality of life of people with HIV/AIDS - the influence of social determinants and disease-related factors

Abstract INTRODUCTION: This study assessed the quality of life (QoL) of people with HIV/AIDS. METHODS: This cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted at a specialized HIV/AIDS health facility of the Brazilian Public Health Service. Data were collected using the HIV/AIDS-Targeted Quality of Life (HAT-QoL) instrument. RESULTS: The study included 109 participants. Among the many significant statistical associations found in the study, the variables that had a greater effect on the domains assessed by the instrument were educational level, occupation, financial situation, ethnicity, and symptomatology. CONCLUSIONS: Sociodemographic factors and HIV/AIDS-related aspects were influential in the QoL of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Treatment adherence in patients living with HIV/AIDS assisted at a specialized facility in Brazil

Abstract INTRODUCTION: In the 1990s, Brazil adopted a public policy that allowed for universal, free access to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Since then, treatment adherence has become a new challenge for administrators of sexually transmitted disease/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (STD/AIDS) policies. This study quantified adherence to ART and verified whether there is an association between sociodemographic variables and clinical/laboratory data in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, exploratory study with a quantitative approach that was conducted over 8 months. The target population contained patients who were assisted at the ambulatory care facility specialized in STD/AIDS of a medium-size city located in Northwest São Paulo. In order to verify the level of adherence to ART, a validated CEAT-VIH (Assessment of Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy Questionnaire) questionnaire was used. Sociodemographic aspects and clinical/laboratory data were obtained from the medical records. The results were analyzed using the Student's t-test and Pearson's coefficient. RESULTS Herein, 109 patients were interviewed, 56% of whom were male. The age of the population ranged 18-74 years (mean 45.67 years). Adherence to ART was classified as insufficient in 80.7% of cases. There was an association between ART adherence and presence of symptoms and/or opportunistic infection (p=0.008) and economic status (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to ART among HIV carriers cared for by the public health system is low. Patients who reported a favorable economic status and those without symptoms and/or opportunistic infection demonstrated greater treatment adherence than those who needed to take more than 3 pills a day.

Perception of HIV among pregnant women in the public health system in two municipalities of the state of São Paulo

Aim: To verify the knowledge of pregnant women on mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV, the availability of HIV tests in the public health system and counseling on the disease in two cities, Birigui and Piacatu, São Paulo State, Brazil. Methods: This is a descriptive and exploratoryresearch using as samples, the files of 141 pregnant women attending the Basic Health Unit. Datawere collected by survey, followed by a semi-structured questionnaire with open and closed end questions. Data were analyzed on Epi Info™ 7.1.4, by the Chi-square and Exact Fishertests. Results: From all the 141 pregnant women, 119 were interviewed and 92.4% reportedto have been informed about the need of taking the HIV test during prenatal exams. However,only 5.9% were counseled and 20.2% reported to be aware of how to prevent MTCT of HIV,usually mentioning lactation suppression and prescribed medication. The association between the knowledge about how to prevent MTCT of HIV and some social, demographic and economic variables like ethnics, educational level, home location, occupation, age and parenting was notverified. Conclusions: It is necessary to advise pregnant women on the importance of takingthe HIV test regardless of the examination outcome, which was not observed in the cities where the research was conducted.