UK News

What we don’t tell our doctors

HIV clinics only deal with a third of HIV problems, a survey revealed this summer. Dr Richard Hardy, of University College London, told the AIDS Impact Conference in Marseilles, that his study of over 900 HIV patients revealed a high prevalence of unreported and untreated physical and psychological problems.

This found that things like feeling worried, depressed and in pain were symptoms in over a half of patients and they rarely spoke to their HIV doctors about such issues.

The self completed questionnaire found that 70 per cent of patients had experienced fatigue in the previous 7 days, 66 per cent had felt sad, 61 per cent had difficulty sleeping and 53 per cent had experienced severe diarrhoea, sexual dysfunction and high pain levels.

These rates are similar to those experienced by terminal cancer patients, Dr Hardy said, and being on HIV treatments did not lower the number or extent of these symptoms. Psychological stress is often associated with poor HIV drug adherence as well as higher rates of unprotected sex.Patients are enduring a lot of distressing symptoms which are rarely presented at HIV clinics and are often poorly managed.

Quality of Life studies measured suicide ideation in the study and 31 per cent of people who switched HIV therapy reported having suicidal thoughts with multiple switchers having even higher suicide ideation. “Is the reason for the depression poor adherence or vice versa?” community activist Mr Gus Cairns asked.

back to top of page