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Factors influencing HIV status disclosure

Thesis (MCur)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Understanding the incidence and prevalence of HIV/AIDS is important in addressing
the ongoing epidemic. Understanding which factors influence the rate of
transmission of the 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 aim of the study was to investigate which factors influence the disclosure of
someone’s HIV positive status.
The objectives were to determine whether aspects such as socio-demographic
factors, stigma and discrimination, religion, culture, fear of abandonment and
rejection as well as knowledge of the disease influences disclosure rates.
These objectives were met through an in-depth descriptive correlational research
design with a quantitative approach. The target population (N = 1200/100%)
consisted of all the HIV infected clients who attended a Community Health Clinic
(CHC) for HIV management in the Cape Metropolitan area. The convenience
sampling method was used to select the sample of participants (n = 150/12.5%) who
met the criteria and voluntarily agreed to participate in the study.
A self-administered questionnaire was used consisting of mainly closed-ended
questions, with a limited number of open-ended questions.
Ethics approval for the study was obtained from the Health Research Ethics
Committee at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University. Permission
was obtained from the City of Cape Town: City Health, to conduct the research.
Informed consent was obtained from each participant.
Reliability and validity were supported by a pilot study which was conducted on
(n=15/10%) of participants at this CHC to assure the feasibility of the study. The data was analysed with the support of a statistician and was presented with
histograms and frequency tables. Statistical associations were determined between
the various variables. The qualitative data obtained from the open-ended questions
were grouped in trends and analysed thematically and then these trends were
quantified.
The results show that there are numerous factors which influenced HIV status
disclosure.
The fear of stigmatisation was identified as a factor which influences HIV disclosure
to others, especially among the male participants. The results revealed that this was
the major reason for delayed or non-disclosure, as well as the fear of rejection and
blame.
The results showed that awareness of the sexual partner’s HIV status remained
relatively low (n = 64/43%), with awareness of the partner’s status highest among
married participants.
The recommendations were to assure that HIV positive individuals have access to
support groups and are given an opportunity to attend multiple counselling sessions.
Community based initiatives are needed to reduce stigmatisation of individuals with
HIV and to improve access to social support systems.
It was concluded that disclosure is a multifaceted process and one particular factor
does not necessarily influence disclosure of a HIV positive status but most often a
combination of factors. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit is belangrik om die verspreiding en voorkoms van MIV/VIGS te verstaan om die
gesprek rondom die voortdurende epidemie aan te roer. Kennis van watter faktore
die snelheid beïnvloed waarteen die virus oorgedra word, is krities in ’n poging om
dit onder beheer te hou en uiteindelik uit te wis.
Om te bepaal watter faktore ’n mens se besluit beïnvloed om jou positiewe status
van MIV aan andere bekend te maak, veral aan ’n seksuele maat, is dit belangrik om
die kompleksiteit van die proses te begryp en sodoende die pas van bekendmaking
te verbeter.
Die doel van die studie is om te bepaal watter faktore beïnvloed die bekendmaking
van ’n MIV positiewe status.
Die doelwitte is om vas te stel of aspekte soos sosio-demografiese faktore, stigma
en diskriminasie, godsdiens, kultuur, vrees vir verlating en verwerping en kennis van
die siekte, die insidensie van bekendmaking beïnvloed.
’n Beskrywende korrelatiewe navorsingsontwerp met ’n kwantitatiewe benadering is
toegepas. Die teikengroep (N=1200/100%) het bestaan uit al die MIV geïnfekteerde
persone wat ’n Gemeenskapgesondheidskliniek vir die bestuur van MIV in die
Kaapse Metropolitaanse area besoek het. Die gerieflikheidssteekproef metode is
gebruik om die steekproef van deelnemers (n=150/12.5%) te kies wat vrywillig
ingestem het om aan die kriteria vir die studie te voldoen.
’n Self-geadministreerde vraelys was gebruik wat hoofsaaklik uit geslote vrae met ’n
beperkte aantal ope vrae bestaan.
Etiese goedkeuring vir die studie is verkry van die Gesondheidsnavorsing se
Etiese Komitee by die Fakulteit van Gesondheidswetenskappe, Universiteit van
Stellenbosch. Toestemming is verkry van die stad Kaapstad: Stad Gesondheid, om
die navorsing uit te voer. Ingeligte toestemming is van die deelnemers verkry.
Betroubaarheid en geldigheid is ondersteun deur ’n loodsstudie wat op (n=15/10%)
van die deelnemers beoefen is by die Gemeenskapsgesondheidkliniek om die
uitvoerbaarheid van die studie te verseker.Die data is geanaliseer met die ondersteuning van ’n statistikus en is deur
histogramme en frekwensie-tabelle voorgestel. Statistiese assosiasies is vasgestel
tussen die verskeie veranderlikes. Die kwalitatiewe data is geneem vanuit ope vrae
wat gegroepeer is in neigings en tematies geanaliseer is en die neigings is hierna
gekwantifiseer.
Die uitslae bewys dat daar heelwat faktore is wat die bekendmaking van MIV
statusstatus beïnvloed.
Die vrees vir stigmatisering is geïdentifiseer as ’n faktor met betrekking tot die
bekendmaking van MIV aan andere, veral onder die manlike deelnemers. Die uitslae
bewys dat dit die hoofrede vir terughoudendheid of nie-bekendmaking van die siekte
is, asook die vrees vir ververwerping en blaam.
Die resultate bewys dat die bewustheid van die seksuele maat se MIV statusstatus
relatief laag bly (n=64/43%) met bewustheid van die maat se status die hoogste
onder getroude deelnemers.
Die aanbevelings is om te verseker dat MIV positiewe individue toegang het tot
ondersteuningsgroepe en dat hulle geleentheid gegee word om veelvuldige
voorligtingsessies by te woon. Gemeenskapgebaseerde inisiatiewe is nodig om
stigmatisering van individue met MIV te verminder en vir die verbetering van toegang
tot maatskaplike ondersteuningsisteme.
Ter samevatting kan die gevolgtrekking gemaak word, dat; die bekend making van
MIV positiewe status word nie noodwendig beïnvloed deur ʼn spesifieke faktor of
meervlakkige besluitnemings proses nie, maar eerder deur ʼn kombinasie van
faktore.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/17857
Date12 1900
CreatorsKlopper, Ceridwyn Elza
ContributorsStellenberg, E. L., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Health Sciences. Dept. of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Nursing Science.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Format83 p. : ill.
RightsStellenbosch University

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