Living with the Daily Dose – Assistance of HIV positive drug users (2004)

The project aimed at the enhancement regarding the access for HIV positive intravenous drug users to a lifelong HIV treatment (ARV-treatment). This report includes the Austrian part of a comparative study on European-level, which is based on data of twelve participating countries.

In Austria HIV-treatment is on principle accessible to every HIV positive person. Apart from medical criteria no general standards for the beginning of  HIV treatment are existing. The decision to start the treatment of HIV therefore is based on a physician’s subjective impression of the patience’s adherence. Adherence is defined as willingness and ability to comply continuously with the strict and complicated rules of the HIV treatment.

Analysing the interviews, suggestions for improvement which have a positive influence on the access to and the adherence during the treatment, became apparent:

• Increased focus on the communication between HIV positive drug users and attending professionals

• Institutionalised networking of those groups which are professionally involved in the treatment of  HIV positive drug users: medical HIV/AIDS treatment, AIDS assistance and drug help system

• Further trainings on drug-specific problems and issues and supervision for attending and caring professionals

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Client: European Commission

Editor: ÖBIG

Place of publication: Vienna

Year of publication: 2004

Number of pages: 45 Pages

Reimbursement of expenses: Kostenlos