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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Barbara D. Estrada, MS¹, Antonio Estrada, PhD², Stephen Trujillo³, and Ken Burton³. (1) Impact Consultants, Inc., 5632 N. Cherokee Ridge Rd., Tucson, AZ 85750, 520-603-7074, bestrada@dakotacom.net, (2) Mexican American Studies & Research Center, University of Arizona, P.O. Box 210023, Cesar E. Chavez Bldg, #23, Room 208-C, Tucson, AZ 85721-0023, (3) El Rio/Special Immunology Associates, 1701 W. St. Mary's Rd., Suite 160, Tucson, AZ 85745

Background: Stress, depression, social support as they relate to disclosure of HIV status are important issues for prevention interventions with HIV+ persons. Research studies have reported disclosure rates from as low as 11% to as high as 47% among HIV positive persons.

Methods: From March 2004 through January 2006, 214 men who have sex with men were enrolled into the Supporting Healthy Relationships through Patient Education (SHAPE) project and completed a baseline interview. To better understand the relationship between stress, depression, social support, disclosure self-efficacy, disclosure decision making and HIV sexual behavior several scales were analyzed and correlated.

Results: It was hypothesized that the degree of condom use would be positively correlated with social support, disclosure self-efficacy, and negatively correlated with stress and depression. Results include a positive correlation between depression and stress (r = .476; p<.000), and a negative correlation between both social support and depression (r = .516; p <.000) and social support and stress (r = .332; p <.000). Specific to disclosure, results indicate a positive correlation between social support and disclosure (r = .218; p <.005), disclosure and stress (r = -.196; p < .005) and disclosure and the degree of condom use during anal intercourse (r = -.268; p < .050).

Conclusions: Interventions for HIV positive individuals need to take into account not only stress, and depression for those living with HIV, but also the development of communication skills and social support to enhance decision making ability to disclose their HIV status.

Learning Objectives: