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.
Citation
Ndungu,Agnes M.,October,2013.Factors Influencing Compliance With Anti-retrovirals (ARVs) Intake Among Men And Women In Mbagathi District, Nairobi County.Publisher
University of Nairobi