Adherence to antiretroviral treatment in adolescents

9 Abstract Adherence is defined as the extent to which the patient follows the agreed treatment modality or intervention required. Adherence or attachment is the cornerstone of therapeutic success. There is a resulting decrease in viral load and elevation of CD4 with significant improvement in quality of life. Appropriate future management and other therapeutic strategies decreased resistance to antiretroviral therapy. Prospective studies in adults and children have shown that the risk of virological failure increases in proportion to the lower doses administered as well as to resistance. Evidence suggests that adherence problems occur frequently in children and adolescents. Multiple studies have reported a very low percentage (50%) in children. There are a variety of factors such as drug formulation, e.g., presentation, frequency of doses, child’s age, and characteristics of parents and children that have all been associated with adherence. This is changing, especially because adolescents do not want to be different from their peers. In clinical practice, the use of reminder systems such as paging devices and alarm clocks are accepted by some teenagers.