Impact of Stigma and Level of Education on Adherence to Treatment with Both TB and HIV/AIDS in Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital, Andhra Pradesh: A Retrospective Observational Study

Abstract

Objectives of our study are stigma constitutes a significant influence on medication adherence to treatment with both TB and HIV/AIDS. Due to this the immune system may collapse in the subjects. This study aims to assess the influence of social stigma on the medication adherence to both TB and HIV and also to know the subjects knowledge about disease. Methodology of the study was influence of social stigma on medication adherence was considered based on the data collection form which contain questions about the subjects medication taking behavior and the stigma that they have faced and also about the knowledge they have on the disease. The obtained data was analyzed using chi-square. This study was done at ART center, Government General Hospital Guntur for a duration of 6 months. The results obtained in project examines the medication adherence of stigmatized and non- stigmatized patients. We used the chi square test to analyze the data collected throughout the study and found a p value of >0.05, indicating that there is no relationship between stigma and medication adherence in the subjects. Purpose of the study was to compare the medication adherence of patients with stigma and no stigma. The data that was collected is analyzed using chi- square and revealed that there is no correlation between stigma and subject medication adherence, implying that stigma is not a factor influencing subject medication adherence.