The influence of traditional medicine and religion on discontinuation of ART in an urban informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya

Datos Bibliográficos

ID19444072
AutoresChristian Unge (Karolinska Institutet, autor de correspondencia), Anders Ragnarsson (Karolinska Institutet), Anna Mia Ekström (0000-0002-3912-1171, Karolinska Institutet), Dorcus Indalo (b African Medical and Research Foundation , Kenya Country Program , Kibera , Nairobi , Kenya), Alice Belita (Karolinska Institutet), Jane Carter (0000-0001-6304-1027, b African Medical and Research Foundation , Kenya Country Program , Kibera , Nairobi , Kenya), Jane Y Carter (0000-0003-4671-3519, Amref Health Africa), Festus Ilako (b African Medical and Research Foundation , Kenya Country Program , Kibera , Nairobi , Kenya), Björn Södergård (0000-0002-7841-3396, Karolinska Institutet)
Año2011
Volumen23
Número7
Páginas851-858
Fecha de publicación2011-07-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaAIDS Care (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0954-0121 • E-ISSN: 1360-0451
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09540121.2010.534432
PMID21400317
OpenAlexW2097497090
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas9
Referencias citadas19

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore the influence of traditional medicine and religion on discontinuation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in one of Africa's largest informal urban settlement, Kibera, in Nairobi, Kenya. METHODS: Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 20 patients discontinuing the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) ART program in Kibera due to issues related to traditional medicine and religion. RESULTS: Traditional medicine and religion remain important in many people's lives after ART initiation, but these issues are rarely addressed in a positive way during ART counseling. Many patients found traditional medicine and their religious beliefs to be in conflict with clinic treatment advice. Patients described a decisional process, prior to the actual drop-out from the ART program that involved a trigger event, usually a specific religious event, or a meeting with someone using traditional medicine that influenced them to take the decision to stop ART. CONCLUSION: Discontinuation of ART could be reduced if ART providers acknowledged and addressed the importance of religious issues and traditional medicine in the lives of patients, especially in similar resource-poor settings. Telling patients not to mix ART and traditional medicine appeared counter-productive in this setting. Introducing an open discussion around religious beliefs and the pros and cons of traditional medicine as part of standard counseling, may prevent drop-out from ART when side effects or opportunistic infections occur

Alternative medicine · Business · Discontinuation · Family medicine · Medical education · Psychiatry · Traditional medicine · Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies · Ethnobotanical and Medicinal Plants Studies · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Medicine · Psychology