Despite doctors’ concerns that drug users won’t adhere to HIV-drug
regimens, a New York Academy of Medicine study found that annual AIDS
death rates among Baltimore’s black crack smokers and IV-drug users
have plummeted from 15.9 percent to 1.2 percent since HAART
became available—a rate comparable to HAART-users who aren’t addicts.
“Addiction can make adherence difficult,” says Joseph Gathe, MD. “On
the other hand, they’re used to doing something every day.”
