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Table 3 Concerns about taking antiretroviral therapy in a cross-sectional survey in Zambia*

From: Barriers to initiation of antiretroviral treatment in rural and urban areas of Zambia: a cross-sectional study of cost, stigma, and perceptions about ART

 

Urban

Rural

Total

At the time of making the decision about taking ARVs (or in general*), I (people) believe(d) that...

Home-based care

On ART

Relative risk

(95% CI)

Home-based care

On ART

Relative risk

(95% CI)

Relative risk

(95% CI)

Benefits of ARVs

       

   If I take ARVs...

       

   I will feel better/stop being sick

154/199 (77.4%)

164/197 (83.2%)

0.93 (0.84 - 1.03)

134/199 (67.3%)

122/200 (61.0%)

1.10 (0.95 - 1.28)

1.00 (0.92 - 1.09)

   I will be happier

29/199 (14.6%)

40/198 (20.2%)

0.72 (0.47 - 1.12)

21/198 (10.6%)

17/200 (8.5%)

1.25 (0.68 - 2.29)

0.88 (0.62 - 1.25)

   I will be able to take care of my family

43/199 (21.6%)

62/198 (31.3%)

0.69 (0.49 - 0.97)

44/199 (22.1%)

40/199 (20.1%)

1.10 (0.75 - 1.61)

0.85 (0.66 - 1.09)

   If I do not take ARV treatment I will die

151/190 (79.5%)

164/194 (84.5%)

0.94 (0.86 - 1.03)

157/187 (84.0%)

155/198 (78.3%)

1.07 (0.97 - 1.18)

1.00 (0.94 - 1.07)

Fear and stigma

       

   I am afraid of stigma

61/198 (30.8%)

31/197 (15.7%)

1.96 (1.33 - 2.88)

88/199 (44.2%)

50/198 (25.3%)

1.75 (1.32 - 2.33)

1.83 (1.45 - 2.31)

   I am afraid of abuse

37/198 (18.7%)

18/198 (9.1%)

2.06 (1.21 - 3.48)

54/199 (27.1%)

37/199 (18.6%)

1.46 (1.01 - 2.11)

1.65 (1.22 - 2.24)

   If I go to the clinic people will not like me

88/193 (45.6%)

38/187 (20.3%)

2.24 (1.62 - 3.10)

86/188 (45.7%)

38/193 (19.7%)

2.32 (1.68 - 3.21)

2.28 (1.82 - 2.87)

   I am afraid to go to the ARV clinic

100/185 (54.1%)

32/195 (16.4%)

3.29 (2.34 - 4.64)

99/185 (53.5%)

26/194 (13.4%)

3.99 (2.72 - 5.85)

3.61 (2.80 - 4.66)

   My family doesn't want me to take ARVs

2/197 (1.0%)

0/198 (0%)

 

19/198 (9.6%)

5/200 (2.5%)

3.84 (1.46 - 10.1)

4.23 (1.61 - 11.1)

Harms of/difficulties with ARVs

       

   ARVs will make me sick

47/197 (23.9%)

25/198 (12.6%)

1.89 (1.21 - 2.94)

40/199 (20.1%)

35/200 (17.5%)

1.15 (0.76 - 1.73)

1.46 (1.08 - 1.96)

   I do not have enough food to take ARVs

50/198 (25.3%)

19/198 (9.6%)

2.63 (1.61 - 4.30)

57/198 (28.8%)

34/200 (17.0%)

1.69 (1.16 - 2.47)

2.03 (1.51 - 2.73)

   ARVs are bad

28/174 (16.1%)

21/189 (11.1%)

1.45 (0.86 - 2.45)

30/184 (16.3%)

14/198 (7.1%)

2.31 (1.26 - 4.21)

1.79 (1.21 - 2.66)

   If I take ARV treatment I will die

62/187 (33.2%)

20/185 (10.8%)

3.07 (1.93 - 4.86)

81/189 (42.9%)

29/199 (14.6%)

2.94 (2.02 - 4.28)

2.98 (2.23 - 3.99)

Need for ARVs

       

   I do not want to take any medicine

48/173 (27.7%)

15/198 (7.6%)

3.66 (2.13 - 6.30)

29/181 (16.0%)

9/197 (4.6%)

3.51 (1.71 - 7.21)

3.58 (2.32 - 5.53)

   I do not need ARVs because I am not sick

5/62 (8.1%)

1/197 (0.5%)

15.9 (1.89 - 133)

1/52 (1.9%)

0/200 (0%)

 

20.89 (2.54 - 172)

   I would rather take traditional medicines

15/177 (8.5%)

4/193 (2.1%)

4.09 (1.38 - 12.1)

21/176 (11.9%)

5/191 (2.6%)

4.56 (1.76 - 11.8)

4.35 (2.13 - 8.90)

  1. * Those in the HBC programme who did not actively decide to forgo ART were asked if they currently believed each question, and questions were asked about concerns that "people" had about ARVs.