Análise dos factores culturais que influenciam o abandono ao tratamento antiretroviral entre pacientes jovens que vivem com a infecção do HIV na cidade da Matola

Abstract

This research analyse the cultural factors that influence the abandonment of antiretroviral treatment (ART) among young patients in Matola city, Maputo province. It sought to investigate how tradition, customs, and habits influence the abandonment of antiretroviral treatment in young patients. It is based on the assumption that in the process of seeking antiretroviral treatment, patients are guided by their traditions, habits and customs that conflict with the medical guidelines of ART. For a better understanding of the phenomenon, Alfred Schutz's Phenomenological theory was used. Regarding the methodology, the study was based on the qualitative method, which consisted in the administration of 15 semi-structured interviews to ART patients and 6 semi-structured interviews to health professionals. The results show that young patients abandoned antiretroviral treatment due to the following factors: structural factors, such as: lack of medical care, long lines at the pharmacy to acess medications and the system's inability to respond to demand with quality. Individual factors like: patients' fear of the disease, non- acceptance of their condition, and how they contracted the disease. Economic factors related to the lack of money for transport to go to the health facility, and the lack of food. Sociocultural factors such as discrimination, the practice of seeking traditional medicines and the use of other medication without a medical prescription for the treatment of HIV. Thus, it appears that the abandonment of antiretroviral treatment among young patients is influenced by multiple factors.