HIV-status disclosure can help with risk reduction, but it also carries with it ethical dilemmas regarding privacy, stigma, and self-protection. For populations which are already subjected to multiple types of stigmatization, these concerns are especially powerful. Therefore CHAS Fellow
Dexter R. Voisin and colleagues conducted exploratory interviews surrounding the topic of HIV-disclosure with 20 HIV-positive Black gay and bisexual men who were recruited by a non-profit health center in the Midwest. Thematic analysis revealed fears of stigma and secondary disclosure within social networks. Such fear was then further influenced by the degree of sexual risk, partner type, and perceived partner trustworthiness. Their report includes a conceptual model of the disclosure decision process based on their study’s results.
Related
