Resumen:
The indisputable success in the use of drug therapy with the antiretroviral medications in the reduction of the mortality related with AIDS has provoked alterations in the priorities of maintenance of the health of the people living with HIV/AIDS, whose survival rate has increased significantly. However, degenerative illnesses and adverse reactions related to the antiretroviral medications are arising such as corporal changes, alterations in the metabolism of the fats and glucose, among others. These collateral effects have generated stigmatizations, which can cause resistance to the adherence to the treatment. Starting from these presuppositions, the current study had as goals: (01) verify the social-epidemiological, behavioral and religious profile as well as the impacts of adhering to the antiretroviral medications in the adult individuals with HIV/AIDS being accompanied; (02) trace the social-epidemiological profile of the individuals with HIV/AIDS in drug therapy; correlating the religious beliefs and the adhesion to the therapy with the antiretroviral medication and (03) observe the impacts of lipodystrophy on the adhesion to the drug treatment. It was a transversal type of study, of a quantitative, analytical and descriptive nature. The data was collected at the Centro de Atenção e Apoio à Vida Dr. David Capistrano Filho (CAAV) [Dr. David Capistrano Filho Center for Attention and Support for Life] in Vitória da Conquista BA, the literary investigation was carried out at the Escola Superior de Teologia in São Leopoldo RS, the variables used were the behavioral, therapeutic and religious social demographic variables and the data was treated in the EPI-INFO 3.5.2 version. The research involved 31 individuals, being that the feminine gender was the one most reached. They were identified as belonging to the age group that is most affected by HIV/AIDS which are the individuals between 30 and 39 years of age. Of these 52.9% presented lipodystrophy associated with the use of the TARV. However, this collateral effect did not interfere in the adhesion to the drug therapy. Of the 90.3% interviewed who expressed a religious belief, 45.2% are Catholic, 22.6% are Evangelical, 19.4% are of other religions, 9.7% are Spiritists and 3.2% are from the Afro Brazilian religions. The research pointed to religious support as a relevant factor in confronting the disease and the drug therapy.
