“I take my pills every day, but then it goes up, goes down. I don’t know what’s going on”
Perceptions of HIV virological failure in a rural context in Mozambique. A qualitative research study
Abstract
Background
HIV prevalence in Mozambique is estimated to be 13.2%. Routine viral load for HIV monitoring was first implemented in the rural area of Tete in 2014. Programmatic data showed an unexpected high proportion of high viral load results, with up to 40% of patients having a viral load above 1000 copies/ml.
Objectives
This qualitative study aimed to explore perceptions about virological failure and viral load monitoring from the perspective of HIV positive patients on first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) and health-care workers.
This research was supported by the UK Department for International Development’s Operational Research Capacity Building Programme led by the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease (The Union)
Citation
Pulido Tarquino IA, Venables E, de Amaral Fidelis JM, Giuliani R, Decroo T. “I take my pills every day, but then it goes up, goes down. I don’t know what’s going on”: Perceptions of HIV virological failure in a rural context in Mozambique. A qualitative research study. PLOS ONE. 2019;14(6):e0218364.