Patients' readiness to start highly active antiretroviral treatment for HIV

Abstract
Initiatives to increase access to antiretroviral treatment in resource constrained settings are growing, but the scale and magnitude of the HIV epidemic in these settings raises a number of operational and ethical challenges. Most people infected with HIV are unaware of their status, and people who are aware of their status fear stigmatisation and discrimination. Key themes about access to treatment include who gets treatment, when is the best time to start treatment, and how to ensure therapeutic success.