Table 2.
Quotes illustrating summary examples of barriers identified from qualitative interviews
| Barriers | Quote illustrating summary examples of barriers |
|---|---|
| Poor quality care administered by service providers (n=11) | [The pharmacist made a] bad joke ... People working in healthcare need to be prepared to work with patients who face this type of problem [HIV]. |
| Lengthy wait times (n=18) | We call in advance and can't contact anyone. There is no communication... When we come, they don't want to give us the medication. They want to reschedule again. I already went a week without taking my medication because of this. |
| Reliable medicine stock (n=6) | It's scary...One time the girl told me ‘there's no medicine.’ I thought, ‘If I don't take my medicine, my viral load will rise ...and what will I do?’ That is my biggest worry: not having the ability to continue my treatment, the disease progresses, and I don't survive. |
| Fear of disclosure (n=21) | I saw someone I knew, and I left. I didn't want to pick up the [test] result. |
| Difficulty accepting an HIV diagnosis n=19) | Why didn't I seek treatment? Because I was denying that I had this disease.... |
| Difficulty finding transportation (n=15) | It's difficult for me because I have to leave my city to come here. Sometimes I don't have enough money to pay for the trip. |
| Absenteeism at work or school (n=6) | I [asked the receptionist], ‘Can you look for another date that's better?’ because of work, so as to not interrupt my schedule. |
| Low perceived risk (n=4) | [Interviewer]: Why didn't you pick up the test result? ... [Participant]: I honestly thought that it was impossible for me to get that... [Interviewer]: You learned the result and disappeared for a year... [Participant]: I thought ‘Oh, because [my other STI] was cured, I wouldn't have to deal with that anymore’. Without thinking that I really had this disease... |
| Toxicity and complexity of ARV regimens (n=22) | I take [the medication] and I don't, ...I've had negative reactions to the majority of the drugs.... I'm still trying to find a better combination |