Medication-related factors
This overarching theme included three sub-themes: adverse events,
medication benefits, and inconvenience .
Adverse events: Nearly half of the participants were complaining
about the side effects of the drugs (e.g., vomiting, diarrhea, and
vertigo). Some patients suffered from hallucinations and insomnia
forced them to stop their medication. One participant reported that he
suffered from drowsiness and after taking his medication falls asleep.
Other patients refused to take their medications because of fat
deposition in the abdomen area and the extremities become lean, this
leads bodybuilding patients to keep away from taking drugs and the price
was their life.
Medication benefits . Living a long healthy life with no fear of
suffering from the complications of HIV infection was a one factor that
encouraged participants to be compliant with ART therapy. Participants
reported that their CD4 cell count and viral load improved after taking
their therapy and their body weight becoming better. All of these
benefits motivated participants to adhere to their therapy.
Inconvenience . The majority of participants reported the
inconvenience of taking bills every day. Some patients had to take
numerous pills every day which influenced their attitudes toward
adherence. Similarly, participants who were taking one tablet daily
reported inconvenience.