Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy among Perinatal Women in Guyana

The book documents the history of the prevention-of-mother-to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) program in Guyana, as well as the impact of HIV on pregnant and postpartum women's adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). The book shows research work by reviewing the literature to investigate relevant adherence studies, presenting in-depth interviews on adherence perspectives of clinic patients and healthcare providers, and a cross-sectional descriptive study of pregnant women that investigated general adherence to pregnancy-related behaviours and ART, and the efficacy of a theoretical model (Health Belief Model) to understand and predict ART adherence within this group. Author discusses the factors affecting ART adherence among pregnant and postpartum women, since existing studies may not account for cultural and other local variations. The findings provide insight into the local situation, and will also inform policy and practice in Guyana, and the wider Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Autorentext

Dr. Debbie Vitalis is a public health practitioner with over 10 years of experience in communicable diseases (HIV, AIDS, Tuberculosis), as well as international experience in maternal and child health. She is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, USA.

Inhalt
Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: HIV and AIDS in Guyana.- Chapter 3: Factors affecting antiretroviral therapy adherence among HIV-positive pregnant and postpartum women: an adapted systematic review.- Chapter 4: Characteristics of pregnant women in Guyana with and without HIV.- Chapter 5: Antiretroviral perspectives of pregnant and postpartum women in Guyana: barriers and facilitators.- Chapter 6: Adherence patterns to prenatal vitamins and pregnancy health behaviors.- Chapter 7: Predictors of ART adherence.- Chapter 8: Predicting adherence to antiretroviral therapy among pregnant women in Guyana: utility of the health belief model.- Chapter 9: Discussion and Key Implications.