| Chapter 1: | Introduction |
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the majority of individuals makes less than one U.S. dollar a day (World Bank, 2011). Comparing the 2009 World Bank’s GNI per capita statistical figures for low- and high-income nations, Uganda’s GNI was $460 and that of Zimbabwe was only $360. In contrast, the United States’ GNI was $46,360, that of Japan was $38,080, and that of the United Kingdom was $41,370 (World Bank, 2011). If the majority of those under therapy have insufficient access to food, taking medication on an empty stomach may cause nausea, which in turn may hinder individuals’ ability to take medication as required and thus lead to the development of drug-resistant HIV. Because studies in this area are scarce, this study expands this very limited knowledge, and it may provide additional information on patterns of adherence and the quality of life for those under treatment in resource-constrained nations.
Additionally, increasing access to HAART in resource-constrained nations also raises the necessity for new knowledge pertaining to individual sexual behavior for those under therapy. Because HIV is an infectious yet chronic illness that currently has no cure, prevention—such as the regular use of condoms, having only one sex partner, or abstinence from sex—remains the best strategy in the control of the disease. In exploring the effect of HAART on sexual behavior of those under therapy, this study may augment existing knowledge pertaining to this area in resource-constrained nations. Of supreme importance, this study may assist in the formulation of strategies and policies that could enhance the effect of HAART and the quality of life for those with HIV/AIDS in developing nations such as Uganda.
Key Definitions
The following terms and concepts will be used in this study:
- 1. Anti-HIV drugs: Anti-HIV drugs refer to antiretroviral drugs.
- 2. Antiretroviral drugs (ARVs): Antiretroviral drugs refer to a class of therapeutic agents used to inhibit or slow the replication of retroviruses such as HIV. In so doing, ARVs slow the growth of