Barriers and facilitators to retention in care and treatment adherence among racially/ethnically diverse women with HIV in South Florida: a qualitative study

ABSTRACT

Women, particularly those from racial/ethnic minority groups, experience disparities in HIV care and treatment, and in achieving viral suppression. This study identified barriers and facilitators influencing retention in HIV care and treatment adherence among women belonging to racial/ethnic minority groups. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 74 African American, Hispanic/Latina and Haitian cisgender women receiving care from the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program in Miami-Dade County, Florida in 2019. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. The most salient barriers faced by women were competing life priorities, mental health and substance use issues, medication-related concerns and treatment burden, negative experiences with HIV care services, transportation and parking issues and stigma and discrimination. Important facilitators identified by women included taking personal responsibility for health, social support, and patient-friendly and supportive HIV care services. Our findings suggest that HIV care could be enhanced for this population by understanding the non-HIV needs of the women in care, provide more flexible and relevant services in response to the totality of these needs, and simplify and expand access to care and supportive services.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV
• racial/ethnic minorities
• retention in care
• treatment adherence
• women

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by awards R01MD013563 and U54MD012393 and in part by F31MD015234 from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities [F31MD015234].