United Kingdom: Long-Term Effects of Drugs Worry HIV Patients

A survey of nearly 2,000 people with HIV/AIDS in Britain revealed that 69 percent did not feel sufficiently informed about the long-term effects of their medications. Participants first feared the long-term toxic effects of the drugs, then noted concerns about other illnesses or opportunistic infections caused by HIV. Third on the list of concerns was worry about short-term side effects of the drugs. Patients were less worried about HIV drugs' interaction with other medications.

The UK Coalition of People Living with HIV and AIDS' survey showed 93 percent reporting difficulty planning for the future. "This survey is timely and indicates that the patients' greatest concern is long-term toxicity," Professor Brian Gazzard of London's Chelsea and Westminster Hospital said in a statement.

Nikk Bowden, an HIV patient for seven years, noted that many of the drugs have not been around long enough for researchers to know what impact they can have after patients take them for decades. "It is a worry that you could be taking something that isn't fully understood over a period of time," Bowden said. "The payment is that I get extra years of life through taking the medication. It is the best part of a bad deal, I suppose."

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