Perceptions of Health, HIV Disease, and HIV Treatment by Patients in 6 Regions: Analysis of the 2555-Person AIDS Treatment for Life International Survey

Abstract

Background. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has reached millions of HIV-infected patients worldwide, however very little is known about their perceptions about HIV disease and its treatment. The AIDS Treatment for Life International Survey (ATLIS) is the largest sampling of patient perceptions about HIV disease and its treatment, as well as their behaviors, including HIV status disclosure and ART adherence. Methods. The International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC) and its survey vendor, Ipsos Insight Health, conducted a convenience-sample survey of 2555 treated and untreated HIV-infected adults recruited by diverse means from 6 regions: North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia/Pacific, and sub-Saharan Africa. Findings. Nearly three quarters of respondents were taking prescription medications for HIV infection or related diseases. Participants reported generally good overall health and high degrees of satisfaction with current antiretroviral drugs, though approximately half of respondents voiced concern about potential ART toxicity and 39.4% reported switching their antiretroviral regimen specifically because of treatment-associated side effects. About 1 in 5 respondents never took medications for HIV and AIDS. Among the three quarters of respondents currently taking medications, 37% are taking their first prescribed antiretroviral regimen, and 24% have switched from a first-line antiretroviral regimen. Three quarters of respondents believe ART will help them live a long life, and treatment-experienced respondents expressed this view significantly more often than untreated respondents. Large majorities of respondents in Latin America, Asia, and South Africa want to know more about ART, while half or fewer in these countries correctly explained the meaning of undetectable HIV RNA (defined as <50 HIV RNA copies/mL of plasma) or knew their CD4 cell count.