Adherence model for People living with HIV/AIDS

Adherence to ART regimen is therefore very vital in this treatment. Any irregularity in following the prescribed regimen can lead to resistance to HIV drugs, and therefore can weaken or negate its effect Since the introduction of HAART(Highly Active Anti-Retro Viral Therapy ¿medicines therapy against HIV/AIDS) , HIV- and AIDS-related mortality has declined tremendously. The continuous, lifelong treatment with antiretroviral therapy has significantly improved life expectancy and turned HIV from a terminal infection into a chronic disease. In HAART, adherence is of utmost importance. Poor adherence, indeed, may lead to medication failure, viral mutations and development of drug resistance.[Future treatment options become limited because of cross-resistance. The risk of transmission of resistant viruses makes adherence a public health concern. Research and daily practice have shown that strict adherence is difficult to achieve for many of the HIV-infected patients treated with antiretroviral therapy. Adherence to HAART requires patients to behave in a way that cannot easily be incorporated into daily life.