Trends in antiretroviral treatment for people with HIV in Australia: an observational database pilot study

There have recently been major improvements in antiretroviral treatments av ailable for people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The ob jective of this study was to assess the uptake of antiretroviral treatment in Australia among patients with HIV under medical care. Demographic and an tiretroviral treatment data from 1073 patients with HIV attending three sit es in 1997, two general practices and one hospital outpatient department, w ere downloaded and combined into a single database. The uptake of, and fact ors associated with, antiretroviral treatment were analysed. Time trends in the uptake of treatments since 1994 were assessed by comparing this pilot study with two previous similar studies. In 1997, 71 per cent of patients w ere receiving antiretroviral treatment, 84 per cent of whom were receiving triple combination therapy generally including a protease inhibitor. More a ggressive antiretroviral treatment was associated with a more advanced stag e of HIV disease and with HIV infection through male homosexual contact. Th e overall proportion of patients receiving antiretroviral treatments has in creased from 46 per cent in 1994 and 45 per cent in 1995 to 71 per cent in this 1997 study. Uptake of antiretroviral treatments has increased in Austr alia with the availability of more effective combination therapies.