The Symposiums

The conference could go on for another week - I wouldn't mind. And not because of the wonderful hotel and the great people, but because there is so much information.

I attended the 9:00 a.m. Treatment Symposium where David Evans began speaking about current treatment challenges. He wondered why people are surprised that HAART adherence remains an issue today. Certainly, someone taking one pill (or a few pills, sometimes) for the rest of their life is easy! Isn't it? Unfortunately, some health care professionals are baffled by non-adherence.

Nelson Vergel from PoWeRUSA discussed the issue of body image and how HAART is associated with metabolic disorders such as lipoatrophy, fat accumulation, and hyper-lactatemia. And thanks for the tip! "Never use the word 'cosmetic' when advocating for reconstructive surgery."

These topics are relevant to me as a future behavioral health professional. Psychologists or therapists who work in a medical setting can foster self-efficacy beliefs of individuals who are faced with the challenge of high percentage regimen adherence. They can also help patients with body issues and self-esteem, keeping in mind pressures of gay popular culture to appear a certain way.

At this morning's symposium, someone mentioned the issue of underreporting side effects from HAART. Patients, especially long-term survivors, sometimes compare side effects experienced today with side effects experienced 10-20 years ago. In the current health setting, face-to-face time with physicians is extremely limited. It often takes time and prodding to get to the bottom of a patient's true experience with their HAART regimen.

The point is that pharmaceutical companies market their drugs to physicians and inquire into patient well-being in terms of side effects.  Physicians sometimes (and the speaker believes this is more often than not) report that their patients are so grateful for the newest regimens that they report "all is fine." Because psychologists see patients more frequently, it is an excellent opportunity to lay this misinformation to rest. Psychologists should speak with primary care physicians about HAART side effects reported by clients, of course with patient consent, which is often the case in a multidisciplinary setting. Health psychologists need to speak up on behalf of their patients when pharmaceutical companies inquire into HAART side effects. This will offer support for the need to continue with funded research into new treatment options.

So much I've learned in just one day. Thanks HIVRCF.