Reasons for not starting antiretroviral therapy in HIV-1-infected individuals: a changing landscape

PURPOSE A cross-sectional survey was conducted to better understand why chronically HIV-1-infected individuals stratified by CD4 count (≤349; 350-499; ≥500 cells/μL) were not on antiretroviral therapy (ART). METHODS Before the consultation, treatment-naive patients and their physicians independently completed a 90-item-questionnaire about barriers and their readiness to start/defer ART. The study was carried out at 34 sites in nine countries in Europe and Australia. RESULTS Between December 2011 and October 2012, 508 pairs of patient- and physician-questionnaires were completed. 426 (84 %) patients were male and 39 (8 %), 138 (27 %), and 330 (65 %) were in the three stratified groups based on CD4 count, respectively. In the category 'Body and symptoms' the most commonly identified reason for patients not to start was: "As long as I feel good I don't have to take medication" (44 %). Less than 20 % of respondents indicated fears of side effects and toxicity or problems to manage pills. Most patients were in the lowest stage of treatment-readiness (N = 323, 68 %), especially patients with CD4 cells ≥500 cells/μL (N = 240, 79 %). Physicians answered in 92 (18 %) cases that ART was not indicated for CD4 cells