Abstract
This study evaluates the risk factors for the abandonment of antiretroviral therapy (ART) among patients receiving care in an AIDS clinic in Vitória, Brazil. We conducted a case–control study of patients with AIDS attending a reference center for sexually transmitted disease (STD)/AIDS. A total of 62 patients, who abandoned therapy in 2008, and 188 HIV-infected patients answered an interview including demographic, social, and clinical characteristics. Risk factors associated with abandon in univariate analysis were entered into logistic regression models. A total of 250 patients were included in the study. Groups were similar regarding age, gender, and monthly income. In the final multivariate model, illicit drug use (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-5.07), previous abandon of medication (AOR 38.6; 95% CI 10.49-142.25), last CD4 count <200 cells/mm3 (AOR 1.5; 95% CI 1.03-2.10), and viral load higher than 1000 copies/mL (AOR 2.0 (95% CI 1.34-3.09) were independent predictors of abandonment of ART. In addition to the clinical indicators, behavioral factors remained important throughout the multivariate analysis in our study.
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