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

Some female clients who had been educated about PMTCT during antenatal clinics
experienced discrimination when it came to delivery. One participant narrated her
experience.
When I pleaded with the nurse telling her that I preferred to deliver by caesarean
section and she refused, I explained to her that I was HIV positive and was opting
for surgery in order to protect my baby from HIV infection. To my surprise the
nurse who had been examining me added another pair of gloves to the ones she
already had on in order to handle me. Can you imagine such discrimination?
That is why some of us decide not to disclose
[Female, 32 years, married – polygamous relationship]
All the participants in the FGD have disclosed their status to their current partners and are
also publicly open about their status in their communities where they spend time
conducting HIV/AIDS education. Nevertheless, they sometimes experience stigma when
members of the public confront them and wonder how they can say that they are HIV
positive when they have no signs or symptoms. One participant narrated what community
members tell them.
How do you tell people that you are sick when you don’t have any signs? If we
were in your position, we simply would not utter a word about our sero status
unless we showed signs. Once you disclose, no one will marry you and you will
generally be deprived of many things.
The participant then commented:
That is why disclosure for the clients on ARVS and who are looking well is a
problem since people hardly believe that they are HIV positive.
[Female, 35 years, married]
TASO promotes couple counselling to ensure that partners to registered clients, who need
HIV services, can access them. However, stigma interferes with disclosure to the partners
thus limits their access to services. A male participant in the FGD narrated the experience
of a client who after registering with TASO was asked by the counsellor to bring his wife
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