Compliance with antiretroviral treatment in HIV/AIDS patients on a methadone maintenance program

Abstract

Recent advances in “Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapies” (HAART), aimed at controlling and preventing the spreading of HIV/AIDS, have improved the quality of life and life expectancies of many patients with this fatal disease. Nevertheless, a significant number of difficulties persist, such as the existence of individuals from disadvantaged groups, that traditionally have had difficulty accessing high-quality health care in some countries, who have not benefited from these treatments. Adverse drug reactions and non compliance with treatment regimens increase the problems for the control of the disease. This work reviews studies on compliance with antiretroviral treatments regimens in injection drug users. We briefly went over the changes and improvements in HIV/AIDS and specialized drug addiction management services in the developed world and analyzed the relationship between HAART compli-ance and some psychosocial and clinical variables: anxiety, depression, stress, social support, self-efficacy, self-effort, and drug use. Finally, our review study suggests broad future intervention and research lines.