| dc.description.abstract | Introduction: Disclosure involves decisions about when, to whom, how, and under what circumstances one makes his/her status known. Most studies show a big variance of HIV disclosure rates across countries with the disclosure rates in developing countries after diagnosis ranged from 16.7% to 86%. Disclosure of HIV sero-status to sexual partners is important to the infected individual and to the general public for positive prevention through risk reduction behaviors and for appropriate care and treatment.
Objective: To establish factors influencing HIV/AIDS status disclosure to sexual partners among persons receiving ART in TASO in Mbale Municipality.
Method: This was across sectional study design that involved quantitative methods of data collection from the 350 respondents randomly sampled from among persons receiving ART from TASO Mbale in Mbale municipality.
Results: The HIV sero status disclosure rate among partners stands at 42.31. Respondents who are single were 2 times more likely to disclose their sero status than people of other marital status (AOR=2.256, 95%CI: 0.919-5.542, P=0.076). Respondents who were aware of their aware of their partners status were less likely to disclose their status than those who were aware of their partners status (AOR=0.469, 95%CI: 0.269-0.820, P=0.008). Being in a casual relationship was associated with more likelihood of disclosure of sero status than being in a committed relationship (AOR=2.266, 95%CI: 1.277-4.021, P=0.005). Fear of divorce is associated with lack of disclosure of sero status compared to those who did not have any fear for divorce (AOR=2.220, 95%CI: 1.011-4.877, P=0.047). Being in the relationship with a partner for a period up to 20 years were less likely to disclose their status to their partners than those who had been relating for over 20 years (AOR=0.369, 95%CI: 0.162-0.839, P=0.017).
Conclusion: The prevalence of disclosure of HIV/AIDS Sero- status among sexual partners was moderately Low. The duration of knowing HIV/AIDS sero-status for 20 years or less, casual relationship with the partner, fear of divorce/abandonment and awareness of partner‟s sero- status were associated with disclosure of HIV/AIDS status to sexual. There is a need to conduct thorough sensitization on the importance of HIV sero status disclosure as a means to promote positive living through behavior change. | en_US |
