Final Facilitator Guide - EngenderHealth

4SECTION 5Section 5COUNSELING ON ADHERENCE AND PREVENTIONSESSION 5.6 : TREATMENT AND ADHERENCE ISSUES FORSPECIAL POPULATIONSTrainer’s resource ‘A’While antiretroviral therapy improves the quality of life of people livingwith HIV, access to these drugs is very difficult if you are a person froma population with special needs such as intravenous drug users (IVDU),sex workers, and men who have sex with men (MSM). Such populationssuffer from double stigma associated with their social and their HIVstatus and require tailored programs to address their needs in treatmentand adherence. Criminal laws and enforcement practices can alsoinfluence the risks for intravenous drug users, sex workers, and MSMby affecting the ability of public health agencies to effectively deliverprevention, care, and treatment services to these populations.I. Issues specific to drug users :1. Everyone believes that drug users are incapable of following theprescribed regimen for antiretroviral therapy.2. It is not possible to insist on stopping the use of drugs as a conditionof medical treatment if this is beyond the capabilities of the druguser. It is also unjust to judge people as likely to be noncompliantwith ART simply because they are drug users and to withhold ARTon this basis.3. Criteria for initiating ART in substance-using people do not differfrom general recommendations; therefore, intravenous drugusers who are eligible for ART should be ensured access to thislife-saving therapy.Facilitator’s Guide4Adherence to Treatment for HIV101