| Title | Adherence to Antiretroviral Medications Among Persons Who Inject Drugs in Transitional, Low and Middle Income Countries: An International Systematic Review. |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2014 |
| Authors | Feelemyer, Jonathan, Don Des Jarlais, Kamyar Arasteh, and Anneli Uusküla |
| Journal | AIDS and behavior |
| Date Published | 2014 Oct 21 |
| ISSN | 1573-3254 |
| Abstract | Adherence to antiretroviral (ART) medication is vital to reducing morbidity and mortality among HIV positive persons. People who inject drugs (PWID) are at high risk for HIV infection in transitional/low/middle income countries (TLMIC). We conducted a systematic review of studies reporting adherence to ART among persons with active injection drug use and/or histories of injection drug use in TLMIC. Meta-regression was performed to examine relationships between location, adherence measurements, and follow-up period. Fifteen studies were included from seven countries. Adherence levels ranged from 33 to 97 %; mean weighted adherence was 72 %. ART adherence was associated with different methods of measuring adherence and studies conducted in Eastern Europe and East Asia. The great heterogeneity observed precludes generalization to TLMIC as a whole. Given the critical importance of ART adherence more research is needed on ART adherence among PWID in TLMIC, including the use of standardized methods for reporting adherence to ART. |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10461-014-0928-3 |
| Alternate Journal | AIDS Behav |
