Barcelona 2013
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| Abstract #265 - Disclosure | ||||
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Session: 37.1: Disclosure (Parallel) on Tuesday @ 14.30-16.00 in Mirador Chaired by George Palattiyil, Ashraf Kagee Authors: Presenting Author: Dr SUZAN-MONTI Marie - INSERM U912, France |
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| Additional Authors: Mr. Michael Olaogbebikan, | ||||
| Aim: In France, living openly with HIV remains a challenge, despite easy access to care and overall improvement in the social image of the disease in recent years. We used the data collected during the national survey ANRS Vespa2 to describe patterns of HIV status disclosure to persons in one?s close family members, friends and colleagues and to identify its correlates. | ||||
| Method / Issue: ANRS-Vespa2 was a national survey conducted in a random sample of people living with HIV (PLWH) being followed-up in French hospitals between April 2011 and January 2012. Participants were interviewed face-to-face (CAPI) about their socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics. They answered questions about HIV status disclosure to immediate family (parents, children, siblings), other relatives, main sexual partner, friends, and colleagues. Participants? feelings and perceptions regarding their disease were collected using a self-administered questionnaire including the MOS SF-12 quality of life scale, and 20 items from the OUT-PATSAT35 scale used to assess individuals? satisfaction with their physician, the quality of HIV care service and its organization. Medical data were collected using a questionnaire completed by the medical staff. Survey data were weighted and calibrated to be representative of the entire population of HIV-infected adults aware of their status and followed up in French hospitals. Using multivariate logistic regression models, we identified the main socio-demographic, behavioral and clinical characteristics of survey participants who had disclosed their serostatus to at least one close family member, friend or colleague. | ||||
| Results / Comments: Five percent of the 3,022 survey participants reported not having disclosed their HIV status to any close family member, friend or colleague. Among those who had disclosed their HIV status, the most frequent confident was the main sexual partner (55%). Regarding immediate family members, 32% of participants had disclosed their status to their mother, 17% to their father, 52% to their siblings, and 20% to their children. Furthermore, 28% of participants had disclosed their serostatus to other relatives, 15% to friends, and 12% to colleagues. After adjustment for time since diagnosis, independent correlates of HIV status disclosure to at least one person were higher educational level (> primary school), being born in France, reporting sexual activity during the previous twelve months, and being very satisfied with the patient-physician relationship (in terms of the latter?s perceived concern for the patient). The following characteristics were not independently associated with the outcome: age, gender, sexual behaviors, physical and mental quality of life, treatment status, experience of AIDS-defining events, self-reported symptoms, drug use, CD4 count and viral load (at the time of the survey and at diagnosis). | ||||
| Discussion: Most PLWH followed up in French hospitals reported that their HIV status was known by at least one close family member, friend or colleague. Good patient-provider relationship encourages HIV disclosure. This is important for vulnerable social groups, such as migrants, where HIV disclosure is observed less often. Further research is needed for a more detailed characterization of PLWH who live alone with their disease. | ||||
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