Disclosure of HIV Positive Status and Associated Factors among Clients in Some Selected Health Facilities of Buea Health District

Abstract

Disclosure of disease status deals with sharing one’s health status/test results with another. This could be difficult especially when the disease condition is associated with stigmatization such as in HIV/AIDS. According to WHO, understanding which factors influence the rate of transmission of the HIV virus is critical in attempting to contain and ultimately eradicate the disease.  Determining which factors influence a person’s decision to disclose his/her positive status to others, particularly the sexual partner, is essential in understanding this complex process and thereby improving disclosure rates.  The main objective of this study was to assess HIV positive status disclosure and associated factors among clients in some selected health facilities of Buea Health District. This study was a descriptive study with a quantitative approach involving a total of 455 HIV positive clients in some selected sites in the Buea Health District. The convenient sampling method was used to select the sample of participants who met the criteria and voluntarily agreed to participate in the study. Informed consent and ethical clearance was obtained. A self-administered questionnaire was used, to collect data. The data was analyzed using Excel version 2010, SPSS version 20 and data was presented using figures and tables. The mean age of the participants was 39years ± 10 years. There were more females (61.3%) than males (38.7%). Numerous factors influenced HIV status disclosure such as, marital status, age and gender. The results also showed that awareness of the sexual partner’s HIV status remained low (n=71.9%), with awareness of the partner’s status highest among married participants. Respondents took a longer time to disclose their status to their sexual partners (1.16 ± 1.39 years) compared to anyone (1.64 ± 1.39 years). Sixty-five (14.3%) preferred not to disclose their HIV status to anybody while 151 (33.2%) preferred disclosure of status to their family members. There was significant difference in client’s response as to the factors that influence the disclosure of HIV positive status and they included the fear of being blamed, fear of rejection, the fear of losing financial support. The older people (41 – 50 years) and > 50 years expressed less fear than those in the younger age ranges. It was concluded that disclosure is a gradual process and one particular factor does not necessarily influence disclosure of HIV positive status but most often a combination of factors. It was recommended that clinics/hospitals should routinely hold counseling sessions focusing on disclosure and partner notification.