Final Facilitator Guide - EngenderHealth

Section 3Case Study #2Devi, a person living with HIV who has quit treatmentDevi came to know of her status in early 2002. After a fewmonths she approached a doctor who advised her againstbeginning ART due to its toxicity. She then went to anotherdoctor who started her on ART; her CD4 was 200 at the time.In a few months, her CD4 count went up and she startedfeeling better.During this time, she met other PLHA and families of peopleon ART who had died. Many of these people gave Devi incorrectmessages about ART, which came out of their ownmisunderstanding or limited knowledge. After theseconversations, Devi thought that people on ART died quicker.Therefore, after taking ART for a year, she discontinued.Devi did not consult her doctor before stopping. However, thedoctor had never conveyed the consequences of discontinuingthe medication.Facilitator’s Guide2Adherence to Treatment for HIVDiscussion Questions• What were the main reasons for Devi stopping hertreatment?• What could have been done in order to preventthis from happening?49