Patient knowledge of HIV and its treatment in South Africa
Date
2014-05
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AOSIS Publishing
Abstract
Background: Patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) need to achieve a 90% adherence rate to
ART in order to prevent disease progression and drug resistance. The patients’ knowledge of
ART and HIV is thus crucial to ensuring good adherence, decreased risk for drug resistance
and cost-effective treatment for these patients.
Aim: To determine the knowledge of infected patients with regard to HIV and the ART they
were receiving.
Setting: The study was conducted at a comprehensive community health centre in a developing
low socio-economic community near Cape Town, South Africa.
Methods: A quantitative descriptive correlative research design was applied. A sample
consisting of 200 (8.5%) respondents was selected from a population of 2349. A multiple-choice
questionnaire, comprising 29 questions, including 14 critical knowledge testing questions, was
used in individual interviews conducted by either the researcher or fieldworker who assessed
the respondents’ knowledge regarding various key aspects of HIV and ART.
Results: Misconceptions regarding HIV and ART were revealed and scores for the 14 critical
knowledge testing questions in the questionnaire revealed that 0% of the respondents had
good knowledge, 20% had average knowledge and 80% had poor knowledge.
Conclusion: The respondents on ART in this particular community health centre had poor
knowledge of HIV and ART. This may contribute to poor adherence rates, increased drug
resistance, disease progression and increased costs for the government with regard to treating
such patients. Increased attention needs to be given to patient education.
Description
CITATION: Terblanche, L M. & Stellenberg, E.L. 2014. Patient knowledge of HIV and its treatment in South Africa. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 6(1): 1-7, doi: 10.4102/phcfm.v6i1.518.
The original publication is available at http://www.phcfm.org
The original publication is available at http://www.phcfm.org
Keywords
HIV infections -- Treatment -- South Africa, Patient compliance -- South Africa, Patient education -- South Africa, Patient knowledge -- South Africa
Citation
Terblanche, L.M. & Stellenberg, E.L. 2014. Patient knowledge of HIV and its treatment in South Africa. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 6(1): 1-7, doi: 10.4102/phcfm.v6i1.518