Examining engagement in care of women living with HIV in South India.
Sara Chandy, Elsa Heylen, B N Ravikumar and 1 others
PMID 31242078WHAT IT FOUND
Of 264 women living with HIV on ART in South India, 214 (80.7%) were consistently engaged.
Engagement was linked to older age, education, income, household disclosure, and fewer access barriers.
Key findings
01Of 264 women living with HIV on ART, 214 (80.7%) were consistently engaged in care.
02Adjusted analysis found engagement was associated with older age, 10 or more years of education, higher income, household members knowing HIV status, and no health care access barriers.
03Greater community stigma fears were associated with higher engagement, while medication side effects and communication with the HIV doctor were not.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot show that any factor caused better engagement. Participants were women with adherence challenges recruited from South Indian public and government-aided private ART centers, so results may not apply to other women or places. HIV care visits were self-reported and may have been overestimated. The study did not include women seeking care in for-profit private facilities.
Declared interests
The supplied publication types indicate NIH extramural research support. The article text does not include an author conflict-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that counselling disclosure or reducing access barriers will increase engagement. The study is cross-sectional, visits were self-reported, and it only reports associations.