Disclosure of Hiv status to sexual partners among people who ...

Duration of relationship and type of partner
Hays (1993) expressed that telling sexual partners about HIV infection is relatively more
difficult among patients who feel vulnerable to rejection, especially by partners with
whom HIV-positive patients have not established a relatively permanent relationship. A
study in Tanzania found that being in a cohabiting relationship, shorter duration of
relationship, not knowing someone with HIV, and lower income were negatively
associated with disclosure (Antelman et al., 2001).
In Uganda, Human Rights Watch (2003) reported about HIV-positive women in
cohabiting relationships who had hidden their sero-status for fear of being accused of
adultery and blamed for the illness. Most of the studies cited focused on women.
However, a qualitative study among HIV infected men who have sex with men (MSM) in
USA that aimed at understanding better the factors that impact decision making process
regarding HIV disclosure identified rejection, issues of confidentiality, possible missed
partner’s HIV status and type of sexual partner as barriers to disclosure (Driskell,
Salomon, Mayer, Capistrant & Safren, 2008).
Whereas the findings in the studies above raise pertinent issues related to disclosure, they
cannot be generalised to people of different gender and age and other social settings; and
most of these studies do not indicate how these fears affect disclosure after an
intervention to reduce fear. Women may have the above fears due to already existing
socio-cultural and gender biases including gender based violence. However, a major
strength is that they were carried out in different sites and countries and represent
variations of cultural norms. Studies on the factors that influence decisions to disclose
HIV status that are conducted among sexual partners that receive ART care are needed..
2.7 Summary
The above literature reiew reveals that disclosure of HIV status to sexual partners is a
process.The facilitators of disclosure discussed include: knowledge of partner’s status,
duration of relationship, type of relationship, clinical stage of the disease, social support,
ethical responsibility, gender, and prior discussion about HIV testing .Whereas barriers to
disclosure include: stigma and discrimination,gender and power relations and fear of
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