Quality of life aspects of patients with HIV/tuberculosis co-infection

Aim: To investigate the quality of life of patients with HIV and tuberculosis co-infection and grasping the changes imposed in order to live with both transmissible diseases simultaneously. Methods: Qualitative-quantitative research, undertaken at a specialized outpatient clinic in Fortaleza, Brazil, between 2009 and 2010, involving 34 co-infected patients. For data collection, a quality of life scale called HAT-QoL was used, which consists of 42 items, as well as open questions to perceive the changes the disease causes. Results: Most participants suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis, were male and their education level was low. Quality of life was impaired in those domains related to economic, sexual and secrecy issues. It was also evidenced that the co-infection imposes changes in daily life that underline and further harm quality of life. Conclusion: Experiencing co-infection, despite appropriate treatment, causes changes in the patients' lives, whose repercussions can be mitigated through health-promoting interventions.