Utilization of psychiatric services among low-income HIV-infected patients with psychiatric comorbidity.

Introduction: HIV-infected individuals face a tremendous burden of psychiatric comorbidity. This study evaluates a community health care system's effort to screen for psychiatric disorders among patients at an HIV clinic and evaluate adherence to psychiatric service utilization.

Methods: Standardized screening measures were used to identify participants who met diagnostic symptom criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress disorder (ASD) and depression.

Factors in the delayed HIV presentation of immigrants in Northern California: implications for voluntary counseling and testing programs.

To describe the determinants of delayed HIV presentation in one Northern California County, the authors identify persons with an opportunistic infection (OI) at HIV diagnosis. From 2000-2002, a sample of HIV patients attending a public AIDS program (n=391) were identified. Immigrants composed 24% of our sample; 78.

Marijuana use and its association with adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-infected persons with moderate to severe nausea.

Background: Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is essential to successful treatment of HIV infection. Two recent studies reported a negative correlation between marijuana use and adherence to ART. Some patients, however, report that smoking marijuana improves adherence to ART.

Patterns of marijuana use among patients with HIV/AIDS followed in a public health care setting.

Objectives: To examine prevalence and patterns of smoked marijuana and perceived benefit and to assess demographic and clinical factors associated with marijuana use among HIV patients in a public health care setting.

Methods: Participants (n = 252) were recruited via consecutive sampling in public health care clinics. Structured interviews assessed patterns of recent marijuana use, including its perceived benefit for symptom relief.