PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Liesl S Page-Shipp
AU  - Salome Charalambous
AU  - Surita Roux
AU  - Belinda Dias
AU  - Clement Sefuti
AU  - Gavin J Churchyard
AU  - Alison D Grant
TI  - Attitudes to directly observed antiretroviral treatment in a workplace HIV care programme in South Africa
AID  - 10.1136/sti.2007.025585
DP  - 2007 Aug 01
TA  - Sexually Transmitted Infections
PG  - 383--386
VI  - 83
IP  - 5
4099  - http://sti.bmj.com/content/83/5/383.short
4100  - http://sti.bmj.com/content/83/5/383.full
SO  - Sex Transm Infect2007 Aug 01; 83
AB  - Objective: To investigate attitudes to directly observed antiretroviral therapy (DOT ART) among HIV infected adults attending a workplace HIV care programme in South Africa. Methods: Clients attending workplace HIV clinics in two regions were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Results: 100 individuals (99% male, mean age 40.2 years) participated, 61% were already taking ART by self administration. 71% had previous tuberculosis (TB) with the majority having received DOT for TB. 65% of individuals indicated that they would not like to receive ART by DOT—the main reason given was a desire to take responsibility for their own treatment. This contrasted with 79% who thought TB treatment by DOT a good idea. On questioning about disclosure, 70% reported disclosure to their sexual partners and 21% to fellow workers. 78% of individuals indicated willingness to support someone else taking ART. Conclusion: ART by DOT was not an immediately popular concept with our patients, primarily because of a desire to retain responsibility for their own treatment. More work is needed to understand what key elements of treatment support are needed to promote adherence.