| Chapter 1: | Introduction |
|
|
Chapter 1
Introduction
Nearly 30 years ago the acquired immunodeficiency virus (AIDS) was identified as a violent disease that quickly dismantles the human immune system. Although the prognosis for infants born with HIV was a life span of only 3 to 5 years, many of these infants survived into adolescence. Currently, nonadherence to medications threatens their continued existence, and this is a pervasive and complicated problem, which requires a deeper understanding. This study pursues an explanation of how the facets of attachment, depression, and development coalesce to influence adherence.
History of the Problem
As members of the first generation of children infected with HIV alive today, and against all predictions, some infants born with HIV have reached adolescence and young adulthood.