Missed opportunities for retention in pre-ART care in Cape Town, South Africa
Journal Article
2014
Permanent link to this Item
Authors
Journal Title
PLoS One
Link to Journal
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Public Library of Science
Publisher
University of Cape Town
Faculty
Series
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Few studies have evaluated access to and retention in pre-ART care. Objectives To evaluate the proportion of People Living With HIV (PLWH) in pre-ART and ART care and factors associated with retention in pre-ART and ART care from a community cohort. METHODS: A cross sectional survey was conducted from February - April 2011. Self reported HIV positive, negative or participants of unknown status completed a questionnaire on their HIV testing history, access to pre-ART and retention in pre-ART and ART care. RESULTS: 872 randomly selected adults who reported being HIV positive in the ZAMSTAR 2010 prevalence survey were included and revisited. 579 (66%) reconfirmed their positive status and were included in this analysis. 380 (66%) had initiated ART with 357 of these (94%) retained in ART care. 199 (34%) had never initiated ART of whom 186 (93%) accessed pre-ART care, and 86 (43%) were retained in pre-ART care. In a univariable analysis none of the factors analysed were significantly associated with retention in care in the pre-ART group. Due to the high retention in ART care, factors associated with retention in ART care, were not analysed further. CONCLUSION: Retention in ART care was high; however it was low in pre-ART care. The opportunity exists, if care is better integrated, to engage with clients in primary health care facilities to bring them back to, and retain them in, pre-ART care.
Description
Keywords
Reference:
du Toit, E., van Schalkwyk, C., Dunbar, R., Jennings, K., Yang, B., Coetzee, D., & Beyers, N. (2013). Missed opportunities for retention in pre-ART care in Cape Town, South Africa. PloS one, 9(5), e96867. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0096867