Banca de DEFESA: RITA DE CÁSSIA BATISTA ARAÚJO DE HURTADO

ADHERENCE TO HAART AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN PATIENTS WITH HIV AND 

SIDA IN A SPECIALIZED CARE UNIT 

HIV; SIDA; Treatment, HAART; ARV; Accession.

SIDA is a worldwide epidemic and a serious public health problem. Currently, with the significant advancement of highly effective antiretroviral treatment, the profile of a terminal illness has changed to a chronic illness, increasing the expectation and quality of life of seropositive patients. However, this excellent immune response and maintenance of viral load until undetectable depends on good patient adherence to antiretroviral medications.Objectives: To verify the prevalence of adherence and factors associated with adherence in patients undergoing treatment for HIV/SIDA registered in the Specialized Assistance Service between January 2019 and December 2021. Results: Of the 100 patients studied, 61% did not have adherence difficulties, 44 individuals had CD4 between 501 and 1,000 cells, and approximately, only ¼ detection of viral load and 39 had opportunistic infections. The majority were male (77%) and single (58.3%), with complete secondary education (34%) and residing in the municipality of Caicó (32%), with more than half employed and with an income of up to 1 minimum wage , and the predominant work occupations: Housewife; ASG and farmer. The majority (67.7%) reported a steady partner, knew about safe sex, but did not practice it, shared the diagnosis with someone and did not have chemical dependency. The variables schooling, opportunistic infections, CD4 lymphocyte levels and viral load were associated with adherence difficulties. Conclusion: Of the 100 subjects analyzed, 39% had difficulties with adherence.