Marseille 2007
| Abstract #328 - The best of both worlds: AIDS treatment trajectories of PLWA in West-Java | ||||
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Session: 6.102: Posters A (Poster) on Monday in Chaired by Authors: Presenting Author: Prof Anita Hardon - University of Amsterdam, Netherlands |
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| Additional Authors: Prof Anita Hardon, Mrs Johanna Imelda, Mr Irwan Hidayana, | ||||
| Aim: Most studies among users of anti-retroviral therapy focus on the extent to which PLWA adhere to prescribed medication. This study aimed to explore retrospectively the AIDS treatment trajectories of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWA). It further aimed to describe views of PLWA on safety and efficacy of the medicines that they take. | ||||
| Method / Issue: The paper presents the results of a small-scale explorative study: in-depth interviews were held with 18 PLWA who are currently using anti-retroviral therapy. These ART users were contacted through support groups of PLWA. In addition, key informant interviews were held with drug sellers and health workers. And participant observation was done in the support groups. The study was conducted in Jakarta and Karawang, West Java. | ||||
| Results / Comments: All respondents use a variety of traditional and modern medications to treat HIV/AIDS, including vitamins and herbal medicines to boost their immune system, and to treat adverse effects of ART. Two herbal drugs, virgin cononut oil and buah merah, were found to be popular. Local manufacturers advertise these drugs aggressively for a wide range of blood-related disorders, including HIV. All respondents complain about the adverse effects of ART. Nearly all mention itchiness and headaches. Around half of our informants suffer from lipodystrophy. Some skip dosage or take half doses, to minimize adverse effects. A few respondents consider the adverse effects to be a signal that their bodies need ART. While ARVs are free of charge, PLWA were found to spend a lot of their scarce resources on complementary medicines. | ||||
| Discussion: Semi-structured treatment trajectory interviews are a good way to explore medication practices of PLWA, including the extent to which they adhere to ART. People use a variety of therapies, because they are uncertain about their illness, and do not want to rely on ARVs alone. Also complementary medicines are used to treat the adverse effects of ARVs. Treatment literacy programs for PLWA should include education on safety and efficacy of other medicines used frequently by PLWA, to allow them to make informed decisions on the use of scarce resources for their AIDS treatments. | ||||
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