Table II.

Motives to share or not to share the reasons for the decision about ART with the physician in participants taking versus not taking ART and 2×2 chi-square analysis of presence/absence of each motive × sharing/not sharing why not taking ART with physician.

Motive category	Illustrative quotations	Frequency in patients taking ART (n = 58) versus not taking ART (n = 21)(%)	X2 Df=1 (n = 21)
Motives to share reasons for the decision about ART
Wants to inform physician	‘I always inform them but I am the one who makes the decision.’	77.6 versus 38.1**	14.22***
Wants/trusts physicians opinion	‘I believe in her decisions. She is very good and she is a specialist.’	72.4 versus 38.1**	8.24**
Presence of concerns	‘I was scared to take it (because of hepatitis C). I even have shown him a pamphlet that was saying that it will re-infect the liver.’	63.8 versus 23.8**	7.22**
To maintain a good relationship with physician	‘My physician and I have had a special relationship for eleven years now, so he basically is like one of my closest friends.’	41.4 versus 28.6	4.30
Physician asks	‘If she brings it up and talks about it, we talk about it.’	25.9 versus 23.8	2.76
Indications in surrogate markers	‘I knew he was going to see it (not taking ART) in my labs.’	5.2 versus 9.5	0.01
Motives not to share reasons for the decision about ART
Anticipation that physician will not support decision	(Patient who stopped ART) ‘I told him that stopping ART is just something that dwells inside me. He didn’t think it will agree with me in the long run.’	3.4 versus 42.9***	14.32***
Unable to discuss feelings	‘When it comes to concerns, I can communicate better with my case managers, who many are either gay or HIV, so they have a deeper understanding of what it means.’	8.6 versus 23.8	9.55*
Lack of trust in physician’s opinion	‘I don’t really know if I can really trust a medication or a physician’s opinion.’	1.7 versus 33.3***	5.97**
Unable to discuss spiritual/moral issues	‘As far as what my moral beliefs, no…I don’t think it is pertinent for him.’	1.7 versus 23.8**	5.97*
No need for physician to know	‘I don’t think she (physician) needs to know about that (reasons for decision to restart).’	5.2 versus 9.5	2.01
Physician did not ask	‘He didn’t ask.’	6.9 versus 0	N/A
Has not seen physician yet	‘I have not seen him.’	5.2 versus 4.8	0.96

^*p_f<0.05

^** p_f<0.01

^*** p_f<0.001.