Global Public Health
Volume 12, Issue 8, 2017, Pages 1051-1064

The role of social support on HIV testing and treatment adherence: A qualitative study of HIV-infected refugees in southwestern Uganda (Article)

Rouhani S.A.* , O'Laughlin K.N. , Faustin Z.M. , Tsai A.C. , Kasozi J. , Ware N.C.
  • a Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States, Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
  • b Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States, Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States, Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
  • c Bugema University, Kampala, Uganda
  • d Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), MGH Global Health, Boston, MA, United States, Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Cambridge, MA, United States
  • e United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Kampala, Uganda
  • f Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States

Abstract

Little is known about the factors that encourage or discourage refugees to test for HIV, or to access and adhere to HIV care. In non-refugee populations, social support has been shown to influence HIV testing and utilisation of services. The present study enrolled HIV-infected refugees on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) in Uganda, who participated in qualitative interviews on HIV testing, treatment, and adherence. Interviews were analysed for themes about four types of social support: emotional, informational, instrumental, and appraisal support. A total of 61 interviews were analysed. Four roles for these types of social support were identified: (1) informational support encouraged refugees to test for HIV; (2) emotional support helped refugees cope with a diagnosis of HIV; (3) instrumental support facilitated adherence to ART and (4) after diagnosis, HIV-infected refugees provided informational and emotional support to encourage other refugees to test for HIV. These results suggest that social support influences HIV testing and treatment among refugees. Future interventions should capitalise on social support within a refugee settlement to facilitate testing and treatment. © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Author Keywords

Social support AIDS Uganda HIV Refugee

Index Keywords

HIV Infections refugee Human immunodeficiency virus infection demography human HIV test Refugees Human immunodeficiency virus infected patient priority journal Anti-Retroviral Agents antiretrovirus agent social support medication compliance Uganda qualitative research interview Humans Interviews as Topic male female Medication Adherence patient education Article patient compliance major clinical study adult emotionality antiretroviral therapy anti human immunodeficiency virus agent
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84954539655&doi=10.1080%2f17441692.2015.1132472&partnerID=40&md5=2fbffdcbc46977b55fa722b3aa26ccc7
DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2015.1132472
ISSN: 17441692
Cited by: 3
Original Language: English