Journal Article

Examining Barriers to Medication Adherence and Retention in Care among Women Living with HIV in the Face of Homelessness and Unstable Housing

Fernandez, Sofia B., Lopez, Cindy, Ibarra, Cynthia, Sheehan, Diana M., Trepka, Mary Jo, Ladner, Robert A.

2022

Overview

Despite advances in biomedical treatments, women living with HIV (WLH) who experience homelessness and housing instability suffer suboptimal HIV outcomes, even when linked to treatment. The purpose of this study was to explore experiences of housing instability among WLH and to understand its role in their ability to adhere to antiretroviral medication and remain retained in care. Sixteen women who were linked to Ryan White Program HIV care in South Florida participated in in-depth interviews. The findings focus around four larger themes: difficulty storing medication, privacy- and stigma-related issues, inconsistent access to medication and health care disruptions, and competing and unmet physical and mental health needs. Findings underscore the importance of strategies that are responsive to the disruption of routines and are sensitive to privacy issues in shared dwelling spaces; the proactive inquiry of behavioral and environmental considerations when prescribing antiretroviral medication; and the identification and treatment of comorbid conditions. This study provides evidence for strategies to facilitate self-management and improve modifiable system realities to augment larger-level policy and funding shifts that are critically needed to end the epidemic among vulnerable populations living with HIV.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,MDPI
• Subject: Anti-Retroviral Agents - therapeutic use / Antiretroviral drugs / Antiretroviral therapy / At risk populations / Biomedicine / Case management / Clinical outcomes / Comorbidity / Consent / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / Disease transmission / Disruption / Drug resistance / Drugs / Epidemics / Family income / Female / Health needs / Health services / Health status / HIV / HIV Infections - drug therapy / HIV Infections - epidemiology / HIV Infections - psychology / Homeless people / Housing / Human immunodeficiency virus / Humans / Ill-Housed Persons / Interviews / Low income groups / Medical treatment / Medication Adherence - psychology / Mental health / Mental health services / Minority & ethnic groups / Patient compliance / Poverty / Prescribing / Prescription drugs / Privacy / Retention / Retention in Care / Selfmanagement / Stigma / Treatment methods / Vulnerability / Women