A longitudinal study of the social context of HIV treatment seeking in urban and rural Uganda during the era of increased availability of ARVs

The objective of this longitudinal study is to examine the social context of AIDS treatment in two settings in Uganda, one urban and one rural, focusing on the challenges to accessing care initially, as well as adhering to and remaining on lifelong treatment. This comparative study will be the first longitudinal study to examine in-depth the perceptions and experiences of patients receiving ARV through the new expanded access program in Uganda. This study has 3 specific aims: 1) To examine treatment seeking practices and barriers to accessing care for people living with HIV in the context of lifelong HIV/AIDS treatment and care; 2) To identify factors that impact long-term adherence to care and treatment among patients on antiretroviral therapy (ARV); and 3) To describe and compare the experiences of patients on ARV in Kampala, the major urban area in Uganda, and Mbarara, a peri-urban area situated in amongst a primarily pastoralist rural area in South West Uganda. These three aims will be met through a combination of structured surveys, semi-structured interviews and ethnography.