For the nonclinician seeking to acquire
an understanding of the challenges
of HAART—or help a client deal with
them—the three most important facts to
understand are as follows:
1. HAART is not a one-pill, one-time
treatment, but a life-long commitment.
2. HAART can be laden with side
effects.
3. HAART has strict and unforgiving
adherence requirements.
All the HAART-related difficulties with
which patients struggle descend from
these three facts. If the first were not
so—if HAART were a one-time treatment—
facts two and three would not
matter so much. However, because
HAART is an ongoing, never-ending
proposition, they matter a lot.
Side effects from treatment can be mild,
moderate, or severe. They can be occasional,
frequent, or constant. In short,
they vary according to innumerable factors.
But almost universally, side effects
can make people not want to take their
medicine. For people on HAART, not taking
one’s medicine can cause trouble to
develop at lightning speed.