Relationship Between Polypharmacy and Quality of Life Among People in 24 Countries Living With HIV
ORIGINAL RESEARCH — Volume 17 — March 5, 2020
PEER REVIEWED
Figure 1.
Comparison of prevalence of subjective measures of overall well-being by polypharmacy status, people from 24 countries who were living with HIV (N = 2,112), Positive Perspectives survey. Polypharmacy was defined as taking 5 or more pills per day for HIV or non-HIV conditions, or taking medicines currently for 5 or more conditions, including HIV. All differences between people with a report of polypharmacy compared with those not reporting polypharmacy were significant at P< .05. Brackets indicate standard errors.
| Characteristics | Polypharmacy Absent, % (Standard Error) | Polypharmacy Present, % (Standard Error) |
|---|---|---|
| All participants (N = 2,112) | ||
| Optimal overall health | 62.6 (1.4) | 46.6 (1.7) |
| Optimal mental health | 62.9 (1.4) | 46.9 (1.7) |
| Optimal sexual health | 54.5 (1.4) | 36.2 (1.6) |
| Optimal physical health | 68.1 (1.3) | 44.7 (1.7) |
| Treatment satisfaction | 73.1 (1.3) | 65.2 (1.6) |
| Undetectable viral load | 75.0 (1.2) | 69.7 (1.5) |
| Virally suppressed (n = 1,536) | ||
| Optimal overall health | 65.0 (1.6) | 48.7 (2.0) |
| Optimal mental health | 63.1 (1.6) | 53.9 (2.0) |
| Optimal sexual health | 55.0 (1.6) | 38.6 (2.0) |
| Optimal physical health | 71.5 (1.5) | 49.0 (2.0) |
| Treatment satisfaction | 73.5 (1.5) | 69.5 (1.9) |
| Virally unsuppressed (n = 576) | ||
| Optimal overall health | 55.4 (2.9) | 41.8 (3.0) |
| Optimal mental health | 62.3 (2.8) | 31.0 (2.8) |
| Optimal sexual health | 53.1 (2.9) | 30.6 (2.8) |
| Optimal physical health | 57.7 (2.8) | 34.7 (2.9) |
| Treatment satisfaction | 71.8 (2.6) | 55.2 (3.0) |
Figure 2.
Perceived treatment priorities at initiation of antiretroviral therapy and at the time of the Positive Perspectives survey among treatment experienced people from 24 countries who had been living with HIV for 2 years or longer (n = 1,624), 2019.
| Characteristic | Rated Issue Important at Time of ART Initiation, % | Rated Issue Important at Time of Survey, % |
|---|---|---|
| Allow me to have children | 13.7 | 17.0 |
| Cost of the medication | 23.7 | 27.2 |
| Availability in my public health facility | 28.5 | 34.2 |
| Compatibility with other medications/drugs/pills | 32.3 | 42.9 |
| Flexibility as to when I have to take the medication | 36.3 | 44.7 |
| Keep the number of HIV medicines in my treatment to a minimum | 34.8 | 49.8 |
| Minimize the long-term impact of HIV treatment | 44.3 | 60.4 |
| Ensure virus was suppressed so that I could not pass it on to a partner | 47.0 | 58.2 |
| Manage symptoms or illnesses caused by HIV | 53.8 | 55.4 |
| Ensure side effects would be minimal | 55.4 | 66.8 |
The opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors’ affiliated institutions.