Assessment of Magnitude, Barriers and outcomes Related with HIV Serostatus Disclosure among art users, in Addis Ababa art providing Health Facilities
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Date
2009-06
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Addis Abeba Universty
Abstract
Background:-
Disclosure of HIV Serostatus to sexual partner and other individuals is important in prevention of new HIV infection transmission especially in developing countries and helps to initiate early treatment and in order to obtain appropriate support from sexual partners, family members and the whole community at large.
Objective:-
The aim of the study was to identify the magnitude, barriers and outcomes associated with HIV serostatus disclosure among ART users in Addis Ababa ART providing health facilities to their sexual partners and to significant others.
Study Design:-
Facility based quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted from April-2009 to May- 2009 in Addis Ababa ART providing health facilities using structured questionnaires among ART receiving clients who were married or who were in cohabiting sexual relation with their sexual partners and living together at the time of their initial VCT. Quantitative study was supplemented by qualitative study among ART receiving clients who were involved in PLWHA organizations.
Result:-
In the study 341 study participants who were married in legal way and who were not married in legal way (cohabiting) at the time of their initial VCT were involved in the study. Among them 157(46%) were male study participants and 184(54%) of them were female study participants. Total disclosure rate was 88.3 (89% for males and 87.5% for females). Bivariate and multivariate analysis identified factors associated with disclosure of HIV serostatus to sexual partners includes: Living with sexual partners in legal marital relationship, living with sexual partners within the same household, smooth marital relationship with sexual partner, having sexual partner whose HIV serostatus was positive and discussing with sexual partner about HIV and VCT before HIV diagnosis were identified factors for disclosing HIV serostatus to sexual partners COR 2.737(1.360, 5.430) and AOR 3.572(1.399, 9.122), COR 2.745 (1.336, 5.64), COR 4.608(2.311,9.191) and AOR 5.263(2.360, 11.740) , COR 4.991(2.002, 12.440) and AOR 8.024(2.807, 22.935), COR 5.341(1.820,15.672), COR 6.604(2.224, 19.607) at the 95% CI respectively). Barriers and dalliance for disclosure of HIV serostatus identified were: fear of loss of support from sexual partners (9.4%), not having enough time to discuss with their sexual partner about their HIV serostatus (7.9%) and sexual partner may get anger (6.2%) were some of identified reasons among other identified reasons. Reassurance by disclosed individuals, obtaining support from people, being annoyed by disclosed people; being threatened and beaten by their sexual partners were some of the outcomes associated with disclosing HIV serostatus.
Conclusion:-
Even if the disclosure rate of the study is encourage as it is compared with developing countries still significantly proportion of peoples did not disclose their HIV serostatus immediately and not disclose until know and were found engaged in unprotected sexual activity which could hamper strong effort made to prevent new HIV transmission to sexual partners.
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Keywords
Assessment of Magnitude, Barriers