Socio-demographic and Economic Factors affecting ARV Adherence in Manipur.

The development of antiretroviral therapy (ART) marks the turning point in the manage-ment of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Very high levels of adherence are prerequisite for a successful immunological response. Low adherence rates increase the risk of treatment resistance and disease progression and also the chances of further transmission of re-sistant viruses will be increased. The study was conducted in three districts of Manipur. The two stage sampling procedure was used to select a sample of 308, comprising 193 males and 115 females. The rate of adherence for males and females was 72 and 75 percent, respectively. Primary data was collected through personal interviews from par-ticipants visiting the ART centres. A semi-structured proforma was used for collection of socio-demographic and economic data related to adherence to ARV. None of the factors had significant relationship to ART adherence, except that of employment status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]