BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to determine factors associated to the interruption of antiretroviral treatment in adults with AIDS in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. METHODS: This was a population-based study, using data from the State's sources of vital statistics. Interruption was calculated using data on the number of programmed visits to the pharmacies, taking into account the date of the first prescription. It was considered that patients had adhered to the treatment if they came to at least 80% of the programmed visits. RESULTS: The overall percentage for non interruption of the antiretroviral therapy was 64.1%. No association was found with the following: gender, type of exposure, residence, nor with the type of antiretroviral combination prescribed. After multivariate analysis, significant associations continued to be found between interruption and in-hospital stay, use of drugs, psychiatric treatment, low level of education and age ranging from 25 to 34 years. CONCLUSIONS: These results point towards significant associations between interruption of antiretroviral treatment and the beginning of antiretroviral therapy during the in-hospital stay, the use of legal or illegal drugs, a history of psychiatric treatment, low level of education, and age ranging from 25 to 34 years.
AIDS; Antiretroviral therapy; Interruption of treatment; Adherence
