1. Efficacy and Freedom: Patient Experiences with the Transition from Daily Oral to Long-Acting Injectable Antiretroviral Therapy to Treat HIV in the Context of Phase 3 Trials
- Author
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Wendy A. Davis, Susan Swindells, Rafael Rubio García, Miranda Murray, Mercedes Garcia Gasalla, Krischan J Hudson, Princy Kumar, Sandy Griffith, Tahilin S. Karver, U. Fritz Bredeek, Deanna Kerrigan, Miguel García del Toro, Antonio Antela, Andrea Mantsios, and David Margolis
- Subjects
Freedom ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Social Psychology ,Social Stigma ,Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) ,HIV Infections ,Context (language use) ,medicine.disease_cause ,Phase (combat) ,Injections ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Humans ,Medicine ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Dosing ,030505 public health ,business.industry ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Antiretroviral therapy ,United States ,Regimen ,Infectious Diseases ,Long acting ,Anti-Retroviral Agents ,Spain ,Pill ,Family medicine ,0305 other medical science ,business - Abstract
Long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy (LA ART) may be an alternative for people living with HIV (PLHIV) with adherence challenges or who prefer not to take pills. Using in-depth interviews, this study sought to understand the experiences of PLHIV (n = 53) participating in Phase 3 LA ART trials in the United States and Spain. The most salient consideration when contemplating LA ART was its clinical efficacy; many participants reported wanting to ensure that it worked as well as daily oral ART, including with less frequent dosing (every 8 versus 4 weeks). While injection side effects were often reported, most participants felt that regimen benefits outweighed such drawbacks. Participants described the main benefit of LA ART as the "freedom" it afforded both logistically and psychosocially, including through reduced HIV stigma. Findings highlight the importance of patient-provider communication related to weighing potential benefits and side effects and the continued need to address HIV stigma.
- Published
- 2020
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