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Disclosure of HIV status to sexual partners: predictors and temporal patterns
L M Niccolai1, D Dorst, L Myers
1HIV Outpatient Program, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans 70112, USA. Iniccol@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
Background And Objectives:
Failure to disclose human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection to sexual partners interferes with risk reduction.
Goal Of This Study:
The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with disclosure and failure to disclose HIV infection to sexual partners and to describe condom use with nondisclosure.
Study Design:
A longitudinal survey study of HIV seropositive persons recruited at a public STD clinic.
Results:
Approximately 76% of the study population (n = 147) reported disclosing their HIV status to their last sex partner at baseline. Predictors of disclosure included consistent condom use and being in a monogamous relationship. Twenty-two percent of those who disclosed at baseline reported nondisclosure during follow-up. Approximately 23% reported not using a condom with a person to whom their status was not disclosed.
Conclusions:
These results suggest that ongoing partner notification may be necessary to increase disclosure of HIV status to sex partners over time.