Putting the “where” in HIV care: Unpacking narratives of antiretroviral therapy adherence among HIV-Positive men who have sex with men

• Main Authors: Robles, Augil Marie Q, Canoy, Nico A
• Format: text
• Published: Archīum Ateneo 2019
• Subjects: Deleuze; Assemblage; Adherence; Antiretroviral therapy; Men who have sex with men; Psychology
• Online Access: https://archium.ateneo.edu/psychology-faculty-pubs/113; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1353829219304009?casa_token=18LnaXsZjAQAAAAA:2fFvo7Myb_vNftgxllE5SPtHAUzDmJq9wUPuLHczWFGK8HVtQeiNwWsh0ZF_XL0SajQmmzCP_as
• Institution: Ateneo De Manila University

This study explores the spatial constitution of adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) by recasting therapeutic landscapes (Gesler, 1992) and how it structures the exercise of expressive agency (Bowden, 2014). Engagement in antiretroviral therapy among HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) is contextualized within the discursive-materiality of emplaced assemblages for HIV Care in the Philippines. Combining qualitative data from field visits and semi-structured interviews, three key spatial narratives were derived illustrating how adherence to ART unfolds in place: (a) an unwelcoming treatment hub, (b) an unsafe and safe home, and (c) a constraining workplace. The results illustrate the spatial, multilayered barriers to ART adherence proposing insights for the theorization of adherence as an emplaced process and the implications of using of place-based interventions in resource-limited countries beyond the discourse of free service and availability.