Title |
People with HIV in HAART-Era Russia: Transmission Risk Behavior Prevalence, Antiretroviral Medication-Taking, and Psychosocial Distress
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Published in |
AIDS and Behavior, August 2010
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DOI | 10.1007/s10461-010-9793-x |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Yuri A. Amirkhanian, Jeffrey A. Kelly, Anna V. Kuznetsova, Wayne J. DiFranceisco, Vladimir B. Musatov, Dmitry G. Pirogov |
Abstract |
Russia has seen one of the world's fastest-growing HIV epidemics. Transmission risk behavior, HAART-taking, and psychosocial distress of the growing population of Russian people living with HIV (PLH) in the HAART era are understudied. Participants of a systematically-recruited cross-sectional sample of 492 PLH in St. Petersburg completed measures of sexual and drug injection practices, adherence, perceived discrimination, and psychosocial distress. Since learning of their status, 58% of participants had partners of HIV-negative or unknown serostatus (mean = 5.8). About 52% reported unprotected intercourse with such partners, with 30% of acts unprotected. Greater perceived discrimination predicted lower condom use. A 47% of IDU PLH still shared needles, predicted by having no primary partner, lower education, and more frequently-encountered discrimination. Twenty-five percentage of PLH had been refused general health care, 11% refused employment, 7% fired, and 6% forced from family homes. Thirty-nine percentage of participants had probable clinical depression, 37% had anxiety levels comparable to psychiatric inpatients, and social support was low. Of the 54% of PLH who were offered HAART, 16% refused HAART regimens, and 5% of those on the therapy took less than 90% of their doses. Comprehensive community services for Russian PLH are needed to reduce AIDS-related psychosocial distress and continued HIV transmission risk behaviors. Social programs should reduce stigma and discrimination, and promote social integration of affected persons and their families. |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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United Kingdom | 1 | <1% |
United States | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 151 | 99% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Researcher | 25 | 16% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 24 | 16% |
Student > Master | 23 | 15% |
Student > Bachelor | 19 | 12% |
Other | 9 | 6% |
Other | 23 | 15% |
Unknown | 30 | 20% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 39 | 25% |
Psychology | 25 | 16% |
Social Sciences | 22 | 14% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 9 | 6% |
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 5 | 3% |
Other | 20 | 13% |
Unknown | 33 | 22% |