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

Disclosure amongst discordant couples is a key issue since there is a possibility of
separation. Some participants whose partners tested HIV negative had such challenges.
When he tested HIV negative, the situation at home changed. He stopped caring
for me and as far as he is concerned I no longer matter or exist to him. Although
we live together, he has more or less abandoned me.
[Female, 30 years, married]
Sex and maintenance of relations among discordant couples are also very problematic
issues. In most cases among such couples, the sexual act is surrounded with fear and
there is mistrust between the partners.
A participant, whose wife tested HIV negative, had to stop having sexual relations with
her although he has kept looking after her at his home in the village. Eventually he
decided to marry an HIV positive woman.
Although my wife had been supportive and looked after me while I was sick for
along time, we were psychologically affected when she tested HIV negative. She
feared to have sexual relations with me so we agreed to stop having sex. Although
she has remained in our village home and I provide for her, we have not had any
sexual relations for the last ten years. I got married to another woman who is also
HIV positive. We live together here in town.
[Male, 41 years, married]
4.4. Reasons for disclosure
Disclosure of sero-status to a sexual partner though challenging is associated with a
number of benefits. The participants who disclosed their serostatus to partners had
various reasons they said that enabled them to disclose which include; desire for partner
to get treatment, need for partner’s support, prior knowledge of partner’s HIV status,
anger and anxiety about the future.
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