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Background: As is the case with most of the countries in the region with high prevalence of HIV and AIDS, ART has increasingly become available in Zambia. The way this life saving therapy is perceived by the people who are the users and potential users is important for its effectiveness. This paper is aimed at exploring and discussing how ART is are perceived and how such perceptions influence people’s entry and retention in the HIV continuum of care. Methods: Data for this paper wasderived from a large study in a remote rural setting of Chivuna in Southern Province of Zambia. The study employed a mixed methods approach and 653 participants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire to generate quantitative data while 24 focus groups, 67 in-depth interviews and 19 informant interviews informed the qualitative aspect of the study. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 20 and Atlas.ti 7 data analytic packages. Results: Although people’s perceptions about ART were generally evolving from negative to positive and thereby facilitating people’s entry and continued participation in the HIV continuum of care, this study indicates that negative perceptions still exist among the rural population. These negative perceptions act as barriers to people’s utilization of HIV and AIDS– related services.This is against the backdrop of government policy of free access to ART and the many success stories associated with it. Conclusion: The study has shown a level of association between perceptions about ART and people’s entry and retention in the HIV continuum of care. In this regard, it is important for stakeholders to redress negative perceptions and harness the positive ones so as to enhance early entry and retention in the continuum of care for people living with HIV. This has the potential to contribute to reduced morbidity, reduced mortality and reduced transmission of new HIV infection cases.

current research on hiv/aids

Public Perceptions of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) In Relation To Entry and Retention in the HIV Continuum of Care: Findings from a Rural Setting of Chivuna, Zambia