Table 6.
Bivariate associations between ART attitudes and ART utilization (n = 102)
| Statement | Response | Utilizing ART in prison
|
p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes (n = 51) N (%) | No (n = 51) N (%) | |||
| ART efficacy | ||||
| 1. The goal of taking ART is to reduce the amount of virus in the body | Agree | 42 (82.4) | 37 (72.5) | 0.236 |
| 2. Taking ART can help a person who has HIV stay healthy* | Agree | 51 (100) | 43 (84.3) | 0.003 |
| 3. ART can not really help people who have HIV* | Disagree | 45 (88.2) | 30 (58.8) | 0.001 |
| 4. Prayer is better than ART for controlling the virus* | Disagree | 29 (56.9) | 17 (33.3) | 0.017 |
| 5. There is no way to know for sure if ART is working | Disagree | 21 (41.2) | 10 (19.6) | 0.018 |
| Timing of treatment | ||||
| 6. PLWH who feel healthy don’t need to start ART* | Disagree | 38 (74.5) | 17 (33.3) | <0.001 |
| 7. PLWH do not need to start ART unless they feel sick* | Disagree | 48 (94.1) | 33 (64.7) | <0.001 |
| Side effects | ||||
| 8. Taking ART will cause a person’s skin to burn | Disagree | 13 (25.5) | 3 (5.9) | 0.006 |
| 9. Taking ART will cause me to have drug withdrawal | Disagree | 40 (78.4) | 29 (56.9) | 0.020 |
| 10. If I feel that ART makes me sick, I should take half the medicine.* | Disagree | 37 (72.5) | 18 (35.3) | <0.001 |
| 11. If I had side effects from ART, I would stop taking ART | Disagree | 28 (54.9) | 11 (21.6) | 0.001 |
| 12. ART works best if you take it some days but not other days* | Disagree | 46 (90.2) | 22 (43.1) | <0.001 |
| Mixing drugs and medications | ||||
| 13. People should not take methadone and ART at the same time | Agree | 22 (43.1) | 11 (21.6) | 0.020 |
| 14. A person who plans to use heroin should not take ART | Disagree | 28 (54.9) | 24 (47.1) | 0.428 |
| Privacy for utilizing ART | ||||
| 15. I prefer not to take ART because I don’t want other prisoners to know I have HIV* | Agree | 7 (13.7) | 16 (31.4) | 0.033 |
| Intentions to remain in HIV care after release | ||||
| 16. A person not taking ART does not need to see a doctor for HIV* | Disagree | 42 (82.4) | 28 (54.9) | 0.003 |
| 17. It’s pointless to consume ART in prison, because it is too difficult to get the medicine after release* | Disagree | 43 (84.3) | 29 (56.9) | 0.002 |
| 18. I will probably be too busy to take ART after release* | Disagree | 35 (68.6) | 21 (41.2) | 0.005 |
| 19. I worry about paying for ART after release | Disagree | 27 (52.9) | 15 (29.4) | 0.016 |
| 20. I worry about finding a clinic near my house | Disagree | 32 (62.7) | 18 (35.3) | 0.006 |
| 21. I worry about getting a referral for ART | Disagree | 29 (56.9) | 14 (27.5) | 0.003 |
| 22. I worry about having transportation to the clinic* | Disagree | 43 (84.3) | 25 (49.0) | <0.001 |
p value significant at p < 0.05 or higher are given in bold
ART antiretroviral therapy;
*
items that contribute to the composite variable, ART attitudes