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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
medicine
HIV-disclosure in the context of vertical transmission: HIV-positive mothers in Johannesburg, South Africa
AIDS Care - Psychological and Socio-Medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV, Volume 18, No. 8, Year 2006
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Description
HIV-disclosure among childbearing women remains poorly understood, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper chronicles disclosure experiences of 31 women attending prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission services in Johannesburg. Data collection entailed repeat in-depth interviews over a nine-month period. Virtually all women (93.5%) had told at least one person (usually a partner), most voluntarily and within a week of the test result. Secondary disclosure was most likely with female family members, through indirect means and involuntary. Confidentiality breach by primary targets likely contributed to the observed high rates of involuntary secondary disclosure and negative secondary disclosure experiences. For most mothers, voluntary disclosure was driven by the desire to ensure adequate infant care and avoid vertical HIV transmission. The impact of disclosure was not always clear-cut. While most primary disclosure experiences were ultimately constructive, secondary disclosure more likely led to rejection, stigmatization and the withholding of financial support. Our data illustrate the influence of social contextual factors on disclosure patterns and impact. For these mothers, socio-cultural norms, the current media and political environment surrounding HIV/AIDS, household composition and social networks and childbearing status shaped disclosure experiences; sometimes constraining disclosure circumstances and sometimes creating a safe space to disclose. Programmatic implications are also discussed. © 2006 Taylor & Francis.
Authors & Co-Authors
Varga, Christine A.
South Africa, Durban
Nozizwe Consulting
Sherman, Gayle Gillian
South Africa, Johannesburg
University of the Witwatersrand
Jones, Stephanie A.
South Africa, Johannesburg
University of the Witwatersrand
Statistics
Citations: 120
Authors: 3
Affiliations: 2
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1080/09540120500356906
ISSN:
09540121
e-ISSN:
13600451
Research Areas
Infectious Diseases
Maternal And Child Health
Study Design
Grounded Theory
Study Approach
Qualitative
Study Locations
South Africa
Participants Gender
Female