“You Take Medications, You Live Normally”: The Role of Antiretroviral Therapy in Mitigating Men’s Perceived Threats of HIV in Côte d’Ivoire

Men diagnosed with HIV face gender-related barriers to initiating and adhering to antiretroviral therapy (ART). This qualitative study (73 in-depth interviews; 28 focus group discussions), conducted with men in three urban sites in Côte d’Ivoire in 2016, examined perceptions of ART, including benefi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:AIDS and behavior 2019-09, Vol.23 (9), p.2600-2609
Main Authors: Hendrickson, Zoé Mistrale, Naugle, Danielle A., Tibbels, Natalie, Dosso, Abdul, M. Van Lith, Lynn, Mallalieu, Elizabeth C., Kamara, Diarra, Dailly-Ajavon, Patricia, Cisse, Adama, Seifert Ahanda, Kim, Thaddeus, Sereen, Babalola, Stella, Hoffmann, Christopher J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antiretroviral agents
Antiretroviral drugs
Antiretroviral therapy
Behavior modification
Decision making
Drug therapy
Family roles
Health problems
Health Psychology
Health risks
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus
Infectious Diseases
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Men
Original Paper
Prescription drugs
Productivity
Public Health
Qualitative research
Risk management
Risk reduction
Schedules
Sexuality
Sexually transmitted diseases
Side effects
Social behavior
Social change
Social classes
Social interactions
Social status
STD
Therapy
Unemployment
Urban areas
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Summary:Men diagnosed with HIV face gender-related barriers to initiating and adhering to antiretroviral therapy (ART). This qualitative study (73 in-depth interviews; 28 focus group discussions), conducted with men in three urban sites in Côte d’Ivoire in 2016, examined perceptions of ART, including benefits and challenges, to explore how ART mitigates HIV’s threats to men’s sexuality, economic success, family roles, social status, and health. Participants perceived that adhering to ART would reduce risk of transmitting HIV to others, minimize job loss and lost productivity, and help maintain men’s roles as decision makers and providers. ART adherence was thought to help reduce the threat of HIV-related stigma, despite concerns about unintentional disclosure. While ART was perceived to improve health directly, it restricted men’s schedules. Side effects were also a major challenge. Social and behavior change approaches building on these insights may improve male engagement across the HIV care continuum.
ISSN:1090-7165
1573-3254
DOI:10.1007/s10461-019-02614-5