Adherence issues in children and adolescents receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy

Abstract

The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapies (HAART) for the treatment of paediatric HIV infection poses additional adherence challenges for children and families living with HIV. A preliminary survey of 18 parents of children receiving HAART in Australia showed that although parents report high levels of child adherence to HAART, specific features of the medication regimen, such as taste and number of medications made administration of HAART extremely difficult. Moreover, interaction between the treatment regimen and the day-to-day lives of families increases the adherence challenge. While some agreement exists in relation to the concerns families have about negative aspects of HAART, the diversity of issues suggests the need for ongoing and individualized support and information to families.