Symptom Exacerbation and Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy During the Menstrual Cycle: A Pilot Study

[摘要] Our objective is to investigate the relationship between drug andmenstrual cycle symptoms in HIV+ women receiving antiretroviraltherapy (HAART). Interviews were done for 12 weeks with 54 HIV+women receiving HAART.Patients were asked if they experiencedany of 28 symptoms associated with HAART and the menstrual cycleand about HAART adherence. Weeks were divided into menstrual weeks(MWs), premenstrual weeks (PWs), and other weeks. Women reportedmore bloating (P=.02) and cramps (P=.001) during MWs. Skin problems (P=.08) and breast tenderness (P=.03) were experienced during PWs. Feeling tired/loss of energy (P=.05), joint pain (P=.02), and chills (P=.03) were higher in non-MW/PWs. Women were slightly less adherent during the MWs(89%) than PWs (94%) and other weeks (93%). Feeling sad ordepressed (P=.01) was associated with nonadherence. Experiencingcertain symptoms associated with both the menstrual cycle andHAART drugs was related with nonadherence.

[学科分类] 妇产科学