Treatment Blocks

As HIV rates continue to rise among young people'and more and more youths are beginning treatment'researchers are increasingly concerned about their perceptions of and experiences with antiretroviral therapy. A team of scientists in Canada interviewed 34 HIV-positive Ontario residents ages 12 to 24 and reported in the Journal of Adolescent Health several key potential treatment barriers brought up in the interviews. ''Confusion about why to take anti-HIV meds ''Skepticism about the effectiveness of the drugs ''Being emotionally unprepared for treatment ''Feeling a lack of choices about treatment ''Medication side effects ''Feeling different' because of ongoing therapy ''Disruption of social routines Because of these issues, the youths interviewed had inconsistent treatment adherence and frequent breaks in therapy, the surveys revealed.