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HIV Status disclosure among people living with HIV/AIDS at FASO, Mutare, Zimbabwe

2011; African Journals OnLine; Volume: 55; Issue: 1-4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.4314/cajm.v55i1-4.63632

0008-9176

R. Abigail Kangwende, Joconiah Chirenda, RF Mudyiradima,

HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk

To examine the prevalence, patterns and reasons for disclosure of HIV status among people living with HIV/AIDS.Adescriptive cross sectional survey.FamilyAIDS Support Organisation (FASO), Mutare, Zimbabwe.A random selection of members of FASO attending clinic or meetings.Disclosure of HIV seropositivity to sexual partner, to one or more family members, to health care workers and to the wider public.There was 79%, 72% and 70% disclosure to the family, health workers and to sexual partners respectively. While public disclosure was 23%, more people wanted to disclose but did not get an opportunity. Main reasons for disclosure to family were to obtain psychosocial and material support; to the public it was to give HIV/AIDS a face; and to the sexual partner it was to have safer sex. Knowing one's HIV status for a year or longer was significantly associated with disclosure to family, sexual partner and the public. Females were significantly more likely to disclose to family members compared to males (p=0.004). People in abusive relationships were significantly less likely to disclose to sexual partners (OR=0.17, p=0.039).Though disclosure rates were generally high, attention must be given to the small number of people engaging in high-risk behaviour, and disclosure counseling needs to be enhanced. Domestic violence hindered disclosure and we advise that it must be prevented.