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The ethics of discontinuing anti-retroviral therapy in frequently non-adherent adults infected with HIV
De Villiers, Maryke. 2025. The ethics of discontinuing anti-retroviral therapy in frequently non-adherent adults infected with HIV. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch Univeristy [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132134
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613764255219712 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | De Villiers, Maryke |
| author2 | Hall, Susan |
| author_browse | De Villiers, Maryke Hall, Susan |
| author_facet | Hall, Susan De Villiers, Maryke |
| author_sort | De Villiers, Maryke |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | De Villiers, Maryke. 2025. The ethics of discontinuing anti-retroviral therapy in frequently non-adherent adults infected with HIV. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch Univeristy [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132134 |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132134 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:19.685Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132134 The ethics of discontinuing anti-retroviral therapy in frequently non-adherent adults infected with HIV De Villiers, Maryke Hall, Susan Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Philosophy. Applied Ethics. Health services administration -- Moral and ethical aspects Medical ethics -- Philosophy Antiretroviral agents Patient compliance AIDS (Disease) -- Moral and ethical aspects UCTD De Villiers, Maryke. 2025. The ethics of discontinuing anti-retroviral therapy in frequently non-adherent adults infected with HIV. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch Univeristy [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132134 Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a complex medical and moral disease, with far reaching and potential devastating effects, if not treated properly. Due to the nature of HIV being a sexually transmitted disease, it challenges traditional sexual, religious, socio-economic and ethical boundaries. It therefore demands individuals to take responsibility for their (sexual) health and the wellbeing of their partner(s), by adhering to medical advice and treatment. A competent HIV infected adult’s poor adherence to anti-retroviral therapy frequently leads to the emergence of resistant viral strains, which are more difficult to treat. Transmission of these drug-resistant viruses subsequently causes significant disease, with associated poor outcomes, in the sexual partner. Ethical conflict among healthcare workers therefore arises when attempting to strike a balance between respecting the infected individual’s autonomous decision, while also promoting beneficence to and advocating for non-maleficence of the sexual partner. In order to resolve the conflicting principles at play, this study explores the complexities of managing HIV disease, difficulties related to medication adherence, and how this affects public well-being. Given the fatal consequence of drug-resistant HIV, I therefore argue that clinicians are ethically justified to discontinue therapy in these non-adherent adults. This clinical decision can only take place in cases where sufficient support and counselling have been offered, and additional care of the patient is not compromised. Despite experiencing ethical dilemmas in the management of HIV infected patients, the most important principle a clinician ought to adhere to, is that of caring for an individual in need. This principle applies to non-adherent patients as much as others. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar. Masters 2025-05-27T10:00:46Z 2025-05-27T10:00:46Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132134 Stellenbosch University 78 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Health services administration -- Moral and ethical aspects Medical ethics -- Philosophy Antiretroviral agents Patient compliance AIDS (Disease) -- Moral and ethical aspects UCTD De Villiers, Maryke The ethics of discontinuing anti-retroviral therapy in frequently non-adherent adults infected with HIV |
| title | The ethics of discontinuing anti-retroviral therapy in frequently non-adherent adults infected with HIV |
| title_full | The ethics of discontinuing anti-retroviral therapy in frequently non-adherent adults infected with HIV |
| title_fullStr | The ethics of discontinuing anti-retroviral therapy in frequently non-adherent adults infected with HIV |
| title_full_unstemmed | The ethics of discontinuing anti-retroviral therapy in frequently non-adherent adults infected with HIV |
| title_short | The ethics of discontinuing anti-retroviral therapy in frequently non-adherent adults infected with HIV |
| title_sort | ethics of discontinuing anti retroviral therapy in frequently non adherent adults infected with hiv |
| topic | Health services administration -- Moral and ethical aspects Medical ethics -- Philosophy Antiretroviral agents Patient compliance AIDS (Disease) -- Moral and ethical aspects UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132134 |
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