The Relationship Between Counseling and Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy Among Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women Enrolled in Option B
Publication Year
2020
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between counseling prior to starting antiretroviral treatment (ART) and adherence to treatment among women enrolled in Option B+ in Zambia. Using convenience sampling, 150 HIV+ women enrolled in an Option B+ treatment regimen in rural and urban districts were recruited. Four generalized Poisson regression models were built to assess the association between counseling and adherence to ART. In all, 75% of the participants reported adherence in the past 7 days. In adjusted analyses, there was a significant positive relationship between counseling and adherence in the rural district (prevalence ratio [PR] 2.52, 95% CI [1.19, 5.35], n = 81) but not in the urban district (PR = 0.77, 95% CI [0.15, 3.91], n = 69). Offering counseling prior to initiating antiretroviral treatment to HIV+ women is particularly important for promoting medication adherence in rural settings of low resourced countries.
Journal
Aids Education and Prevention
Volume
32
Pages
378-391