Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has transformed AIDS into a controllable disease and, in the
national context, public policies have contributed to universal access to ART, resulting in a
reduction in AIDS-related mortality. However, adherence to ART remains a challenge,
especially for homeless people, who face several socioeconomic and psychosocial barriers.
These difficulties reflect the deep Brazilian social inequality, highlighting the need for more
effective policies to guarantee access to treatment for this vulnerable population. Thus, the
present study sought to identify in the scientific literature the factors that influence adherence
to antiretroviral treatment in people living on the streets, based on consultation in the Lilacs,
Medline, SciELO and Web of Science databases of articles published between 2017 and 2023.
The review included 5 articles that pointed out multiple factors related to adherence to ART in
homeless people, such as concern about other priorities besides health, not having an
adequate place to store medications, abuse of alcohol and other drugs, the low level of formal
education, prejudice and discrimination, difficulty in accessing health services, difficult access
to food and the emotionally complex experience related to living on the street. The factors
found were described and analyzed in the following categories: individual factors, social
factors, economic factors and psychological factors. Multidisciplinary action is extremely
important to ensure adequate support for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) living on the
streets in care strategies, as well as the inclusion of the community in these strategies to
combat the stigma associated with PLWHA and promote awareness about the importance of
adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) to guarantee a better quality of life.
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