Adherence to Anti-Retroviral Therapy and Its Determinants in HIV/AIDS Patients

Although Highly Active AntiRetroviral Therapy (HAART) significantly reduced HIV/AIDS mortality, appropriate adherence level is recommended for viral suppression and therapeut ic response in People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). In the most studies, adherence is defined as taking 95 % of prescribed medications. Poor or nonadherence may lead to treatment failure and drug resistance. There is no golden standard for evaluation of ad herence to medication and many measurement methods are used to assess adherence rate. Moreover, several determinants have been contemplated for adherence in different studies; however, the exact roles of some determinants are not well established. The goal s of this review are to describe the adherence rates, to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of common adherence measurement methods, to examine significant correlations related to adherence and to recommend strategies for improving adherence in clinical care. Keywords: HIV/AIDS, anti-retroviral therapy, adherence, measurements, correlations.