186895 Serostatus disclosure to sexual partners among persons living with HIV/AIDS in North Carolina

Monday, October 27, 2008

Sarahmona Przybyla, MPH , Health Behavior and Health Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC
Carol E. Golin, MD, MPH , Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services and Research, Chapel Hill, NC
Rebecca Davis, MPH , Health Behavior and Health Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC
Catherine A. Grodensky, MPH , Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services and Research, Chapel Hill, NC
Jo Anne Earp, ScD , Health Behavior and Health Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC
Chirayath M. Suchindran, PhD , Dept. of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Background

Because it may increase safer sex practices, serostatus disclosure to sex partners by HIV-positive individuals is one important aspect of reducing HIV transmission. Studies have assessed the proportion of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) who disclose, but such studies have been conducted primarily among HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) and many have not examined disclosure based on partner characteristics.

Methods

We used data from a clinical trial in the Southeastern U.S. of sexually active PLWHA (N=206); 36% female; 36% MSM; 27% men who have sex with women (MSW); 71% African American; mean age=43. We assessed disclosure to sexual partners in the past three months via audio computer-assisted self-interview to determine if disclosure rates vary by serostatus and number of partners.

Results

Two-thirds reported one sexual partner. Among this sub-sample, disclosure rates were 97% among MSM, 92% among women, and 91% among MSW. Disclosure rates were higher to HIV-positive partners (100%) than to HIV-negative (92%) or unknown serostatus partners (69%). For the 68 participants reporting more than one partner, the disclosure rate to all partners was 81% among MSW, 70% among women, and 66% among MSM. For this group, disclosure rates were higher to HIV-positive partners (93%) than to HIV-negative (66%) or unknown serostatus partners (29%).

Conclusions

HIV prevention efforts must recognize that PLWHA who have HIV-negative or unknown serostatus partners may disclose less than those with HIV-positive partners. PLWHA who have multiple partners may also require more counseling about serostatus disclosure than those with one partner.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the importance of HIV serostatus disclosure to sexual partners. 2. Articulate the differences in serostatus disclosure rates based on gender, serostatus, and number of partner(s). 3. Describe implications of our findings for the content and targeted population for HIV prevention efforts among PLWHA.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, HIV Risk Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: 1. Over 6 years in HIV prevention work in North Carolina 2. Currently funded with a Pre-Doctoral T-32 Training Grant in Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS from the Department of Health and Human Services/National Institutes of Health
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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