Assessment of patients ART knowledge at two Health centres in Nairobi

According to available statistics of 2000, an estimated 2.2 million people in Kenya were reported to be living with HIV/AIDS while in 2007, 1.4 million people in Kenya were estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS (WHO, 2007). Total number of people on ART in Kenya in 2011 was estimated at 470,000 (NASCOP, 2011). Before people are initiated on ART, basic knowledge on HIV/AIDS is needed, understanding of opportunistic infections, ART and the side effects of treatment. To determine patients knowledge on various aspects of antiretroviral therapy. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was administered to 342 patients receiving antiretroviral therapy at Industrial Area Remand Prison and Loco health centers. The ratio of males to females of all participants was 1.4:1. Statistical significance was found between participants level of education and their knowledge on, definition of AIDS (p=0.006), definition of side effects (p=0.005), definition of ARVs (p=0.000), daily dosing time of ARVs (p=0.000), consequences of missing ARV doses (p=0.001) and duration of use of ARVs (p=0.004).