HIV Treatment Adherence Self-Efficacy Scale (HIV-ASES)

The HIV-ASES is a 12-item measure used to measure social and psychological determinants of adherence to HAART among HIV-positive individuals (Johnson et al., 2007). The scale measures a patient’s confidence in carrying out important treatment-related behaviors related to adhering to treatment plans, including medication regimen adherence and following plans for nutrition and exercise in the face of barriers.


HIV-ASES Items
I am going to ask you about situations that could occur during your treatment for HIV. Treatment can involve
different things for different people. Sometimes, this might refer to taking medications, and other times it
could refer to other things that you do to deal with HIV such as diet and exercise or taking vitamins. So, in
these questions, when I ask you about your ‘‘treatment’’ or your ‘‘treatment plan,’’ I am talking not only about
any medications that you might be taking for HIV, but also other things that make up your self-care.
For the following questions I will ask you to tell me in the past month, including today, how confident you
have been that you can do the following things. Use this response scale ranging from 0 (‘‘cannot do at all’’)
to 10 (‘‘completely certain can do’’).
Note: The term ‘‘clinic’’ may be replaced by ‘‘doctor’s office’’ if participant does not receive care in clinic
settings.]
Cannot do at all 00
01
02
03
04
Moderately certain can do 05
06
07
08
09
Completely certain can do 10
In the past month, how confident have you been that you can:
1. Stick to your treatment plan even when side effects begin to interfere with daily activities?
2. Integrate your treatment into your daily routine?
3. Integrate your treatment into your daily routine even if it means taking medication or doing other things
in front of people who don’t know you are HIV-infected?
4. Stick to your treatment schedule even when your daily routine is disrupted?
5. Stick to your treatment schedule when you aren’t feeling well?
6. Stick to your treatment schedule when it means changing your eating habits?
7. Continue with your treatment even if doing so interferes with your daily activities?
8. Continue with the treatment plan your physician prescribed even if your T-cells drop significantly in the
next three months?
9. Continue with your treatment even when you are feeling discouraged about your health?
10. Continue with your treatment even when getting to your clinic appointments is a major hassle?
11. Continue with your treatment even when people close to you tell you that they don’t think that it is doing
any good?
12. Get something positive out of your participation in treatment, even if the medication you are taking does
not improve your health?


Johnson, M. O., Neilands, T. B., Dilworth, S. E., Morin, S. F., Remien, R. H., & Chesney, M. A. (2007). The role of self-efficacy in HIV treatment adherence: validation of the HIV Treatment Adherence Self-Efficacy Scale (HIV-ASES). Journal of behavioral medicine30(5), 359–370. doi:10.1007/s10865-007-9118-3

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