SHORT REPORT

HIV treatment adherence and unprotected sex practices in people receiving antiretroviral therapy

S C Kalichman¹ and D Rompa²

¹ University of Connecticut
² Medical College of Wisconsin

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Seth C Kalichman, Psychology Department, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, Storrs, CT 06269, USA;
seth.k{at}uconn.edu

Background: Poor HIV treatment adherence can result in the development of drug resistant strains of HIV and HIV positive people may transmit drug resistant virus to their sex partners.

Objective: To examine the association between HIV treatment adherence and sexual risk behaviour practices in people living with HIV-AIDS.

Methods: Surveys and interviews with 255 men and women living with HIV and receiving antiretroviral therapy.

Results: People who were currently taking antiretroviral medications and missed at least one dose of their medications in the past week scored significantly higher on a hopelessness scale and reported more current use of marijuana. People who had been non-adherent also reported significantly more sex partners, greater rates of unprotected vaginal intercourse, and less protected sex behaviours including less protected sex with partners who were HIV negative or of unknown HIV status.

Conclusions: Associations between HIV treatment adherence and sexual transmission risk behaviours indicate the need for comprehensive and integrated health behaviour interventions for people living with HIV-AIDS.

Keywords: HIV treatment adherence; sexual risk; HIV transmission risks; HIV

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Shacham, E., Basta, T. B., Reece, M. (2009). Relationship of Psychological Distress and Unprotected Sex Among Individuals With HIV Seeking Mental Health Care. J Int Assoc Physicians AIDS Care (Chic Ill) 8: 93-99 [Abstract]  
• Kalichman, S. C. (2008). Co-occurrence of Treatment Nonadherence and Continued HIV Transmission Risk Behaviors: Implications for Positive Prevention Interventions. Psychosom. Med. 70: 593-597 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Clements-Nolle, K., Marx, R., Pendo, M., Loughran, E., Estes, M., Katz, M. (2008). Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Use and HIV Transmission Risk Behaviors Among Individuals Who Are HIV Infected and Were Recently Released From Jail. Am. J. Public Health 98: 661-666 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Simbayi, L C, Kalichman, S C, Strebel, A, Cloete, A, Henda, N, Mqeketo, A (2007). Disclosure of HIV status to sex partners and sexual risk behaviours among HIV-positive men and women, Cape Town, South Africa. Sex. Transm. Infect. 83: 29-34 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Metsch, L. R., Pereyra, M., del Rio, C., Gardner, L., Duffus, W. A., Dickinson, G., Kerndt, P., Anderson-Mahoney, P., Strathdee, S. A., Greenberg, A. E. (2004). Delivery of HIV Prevention Counseling by Physicians at HIV Medical Care Settings in 4 US Cities. Am. J. Public Health 94: 1186-1192 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ward, H, Miller, R (2003). Taking up the reins. Sex. Transm. Infect. 79: 2-2 [Full Text]