Understanding Why Patients Stop Antiretroviral Treatment in South Africa

Sample size: 528 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Candace M. Miller, Ketlhapile Mpefe, Heather Rybasack-Smith, Sydney Rosen

Primary Institution: Center for Global Health and Development, Boston University

What are the reasons patients default from antiretroviral treatment (ART) programmes?

The study identifies transport costs, time needed for treatment, and logistical challenges as major barriers to treatment retention.

Patients reported that ART improved their health status and quality of life.
Transport costs and time were significant barriers to treatment retention.
Stigma and side effects were less influential in patients' decisions to stop treatment.
Patients who transferred to new clinics reported lower transportation costs.

This study looked at why people stop taking their HIV medicine and found that getting to the clinic can be hard and take a lot of time.

A prospective cohort study followed by qualitative interviews with patients who had defaulted from treatment.

Potential bias in self-reported reasons for defaulting due to social desirability.

The study may not capture all reasons for defaulting as some patients may not have been located or may have been unwilling to admit defaulting.

75% of the larger sample were women; defaulters were younger and more likely to have higher levels of schooling compared to transfer patients.

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