Antiretroviral Therapy Uptake by Eligible Individuals Needs To Be Improved

South Africa has the largest antiretroviral therapy (ART) program in the world, but many patients who are eligible for ART have not yet initiated it. Failure to present for treatment likely plays a role, but so does treatment refusal. In the present study, researchers evaluated the rates and reasons for such refusal within an HIV treatment and care program in Soweto, South Africa.

Of the 7287 adults tested for HIV between December 2008 and December 2009, 35% were found to be HIV-infected, and almost a third (29%) were eligible for immediate ART (CD4 count <200 cells/mm³ or WHO stage 4 disease). Of these eligible individuals, 20% refused treatment, with the most common reason being that they “felt healthy.” Other reasons included fear of disc…