Investigation of adherence and process of anti-retroviral therapy in patients referred to Isfahan Behavioral Consultation Center during ten years

Highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) includes the use of three or more anti-retroviral drugs with proven in controlling AIDS. The aim of this study was to investigate adherence and process of anti-retroviral therapy in patients refereed to Isfahan Behavioral Consultation Center from 1999 to 2009. This study was a cross-sectional study and therapeutic process of all patients who received anti-retroviral therapy was evaluated during this ten years. Patients’ data were entered to SPSS v. 19 and analyzed using descriptive analytic statistical methods. In this study, 74 patients had received anti-retroviral therapy. Eighteen patients (24.3%) who were in AIDS phase, died and the most mortality rate was observed in injecting drug users (94.4%) and patients with no history of treatment with methadone (100%). Sixty three patients (85.1%) due to AIDS or decrease in CD4 and 11 patients (14.9%) for prophylaxis reasons received anti-retroviral therapy. Eight patients (10.8%) did not have adherence to anti-retroviral therapy. Timely starting anti-retroviral therapy and patients’ adherence to treatment and methadone therapy to overcome intravenous drug addiction have important role in success of treatment.