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Factors associated with self‐disclosure of HIV serostatus to significant others
Author(s) -
Petrak Jenny A.,
Doyle AnneMarie,
Smith Alan,
Skinner Celia,
Hedge Barbara
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
british journal of health psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.05
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 2044-8287
pISSN - 1359-107X
DOI - 10.1348/135910701169061
Subject(s) - serostatus , self disclosure , ethnic group , anxiety , clinical psychology , psychology , social support , social stigma , depression (economics) , distress , medicine , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , psychiatry , demography , family medicine , social psychology , viral load , sociology , anthropology , economics , macroeconomics
Objectives. To examine rates and patterns of self‐disclosure of HIV serostatus amongst individuals attending an out‐patient HIV clinic in East London. Design. A cross‐sectional survey design was used. Methods. A volunteer sample of 95 out‐patient HIV clinic attendees completed a self‐report questionnaire examining patterns of disclosure to self‐identified significant others, reasons for disclosure and non‐disclosure, satisfaction with social support (SSQ6), quality of life (MOS‐30) and anxiety and depression (HADS). Self‐disclosure was examined in relation to cultural background, gender, satisfaction with social support, and medical and psychological variables. Results. Seventy‐nine men and 16 women reported a mean disclosure rate of 68% to self‐identified significant others. Five individuals had not disclosed their HIV status to anyone; 91% of individuals had informed their partner. Friends were more frequently informed (79%) than family (53%). Ethnicity ( p < .001) and length of time since testing HIV seropositive ( p < .05) emerged as significant predictors of disclosure. Global satisfaction with social support was negatively correlated with depression but was not associated with the total rate of HIV disclosure. Frequently reported reasons for non‐disclosure included wanting to protect others from distress and fear of discrimination. Conclusions. HIV serostatus rates was highest for partners, followed by friends, and lowest for family members. Patterns of disclosure of HIV serostatus varied in relation to ethnicity. Fifteen years into the HIV epidemic, social stigma continues to contribute towards non‐disclosure of diagnosis.