Factors Influencing Compliance With Anti-retrovirals (Arvs) Intake Among Men and Women in Mbagathi District, Nairobi County

Abstract

The main objecti e of the study was to establish factor influencing compliance with ARVs intake among men and women in Mbagathi District, Nairobi County. The specific objectives were to investigate the factors that influence differential compliance of anti-retrovirals (ARVs) use among male and female patients over 18 years of age and to investigate how social support networks influence adherence to anti-retrovirals -(ARVs) among men and women over 18 years of age. The study was carried out in Nairobi Kenya. The study had a general focus on the two main hospitals in Nairobi, namely Kenyatta National Hospital and Mbagathi District Hospital and aimed to reach 30 patients through in-depth interviews. and ten (10) key informants at NASCOP, NACC, Mbagathi and Kenyatta National Hospitals. The study was exploratory since there is little data on ARV adherence in Kenya. It relied on qualitative approach using in-depth interviews from study participants. The study collected both secondary and primary data. Secondary data entailed review of relevant documents and literature largely to establish what is known about HIV-AIDS and in ARV adherence. Primary data for the study was mainly obtained through in-depth interviews with patients on ARVs and key informant interviews with individuals being specifically sampled. The study targeted 30 HIV positive people on ARV's i.e. fifteen (15 men) and (15 women) and ten (10 officers from the two health facilities (KNH-5, Mbagathi-5). For the 30 ARV users, snowball sampling technique was applied. The study sampled 30 respondents on ARVs. The data from different respondents was compared to identify similarities and differences in the data and reasons for such differences identified and explained. The patients knew that they were HIV positive after their health deteriorated and went for a checkup in the hospital. The patients preferred getting the ARVs free. ARVs have helped patients to live positively and healthier. It is important to understand the different challenges that patients go through and how these affect their levels of adherence. Innovative ways of promoting adherence that are embedded within facility structure such as providing services to patients with HIV on select days as applied by PGH could be scaled up to improve adherence rates.