Barriers of HIV treatment-seeking behavior among youths living with HIV in Uganda: a qualitative study

This study aimed to explore experienced barriers to seek human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment and care among youth living with HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in Uganda. The study demonstrated that barriers to using HIV care included fear of stigma and HIV disclosure, young men and women’s lack of support from their families, demanding work schedules, and high transport costs. Programmatic barriers included fear of stigma, antiretroviral drug side effects, long waiting and travel times, and inadequate service providers’ respect for patients. The study recommends targeted interventions to combat stigma, strengthen couple counseling and health education programs, and address gender inequalities among other things.