چکیده (انگلیسی):

Disclosure of private information is likely to be emotional and complex, and even more so in the context of disclosing one’s HIV status, which involves sensitive, potentially life-changing information and the possibility of invoking stigmatization and discrimination. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence, factors, timing and outcomes of HIV status disclosure among HIV positive patients receiving care at the Special Treatment Clinic of the National Hospital Abuja, Nigeria. The study was a descriptive cross sectional involving 240 conveniently sampled HIV positive patients enrolled in care. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data was analyzed with the SPSS version 16. Tools used for analysis included descriptive statistics and Chi square test. Results showed that majority of respondents 228 (95.0%) had disclosed their HIV status, of which most 121 (50.4%) had disclosed to their sexual partners. A significant association was seen between level of education and status disclosure; x 2= 0.001. A significant association (x2= 0.001) was seen between timing of status disclosure and age and also between level of education and timing of status disclosure (x2= 0.001). Overall majority 122 (53.3%) of respondents received positive reaction from the first person to whom they first disclosed their HIV status. Minority 2 (0.9%) experienced violence and majority 136 (56.7%) had no intention of further disclosure of their status. With most respondents experiencing positive responses to their HIV status disclosure; indicating clear benefits, minority experiencing negative reactions and a significant proportion having no intention of further disclosure, more studies are needed for wider recommendation on how to manage disclosure issues.