The role of disclosure in coping with HIV infection

A qualitative investigation was conducted to explore the role of disclosure in HIV infection. Forty homosexual and bisexual men completed a short demographic questionnaire and participated in a one-to-one, semi-structured interview. The interview was designed to address a variety of personal, interpersonal and organizational issues related to their HIV status and participants were invited to talk about their personal experiences from immediately prior to their diagnosis to the time of the interview. The results from the interviews are presented in three sections: immediately post-diagnosis, asymptomatic phase and symptomatic/AIDS phases. The data revealed that disclosing one's HIV status was an acute and recurrent stressor. Immediately post-diagnosis, individuals were more likely to adopt a policy of non-disclosure and this provided them with an opportunity to come to terms with their diagnosis before having to contend with the reactions of others. After this phase, there was evidence that individuals increasingly used disclosure as a mechanism for coping with the disease. Disclosure of one's status was used to increase both practical and emotional support, share responsibility for sex and to facilitate self-acceptance of one's condition. The results from this investigation revealed that disclosure has a dual role in HIV infection acting as both a stressor and a mechanism by which individuals contend with their infection.