‘‘Was it a Mistake to Tell Others That You are Infected with HIV?’’: Factors Associated with Regret Following HIV Disclosure Among People Living with HIV in Five Countries (Mali, Morocco, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador and Romania). Results from a Community-Based Research
Résumé
This study examined regret following HIV serostatus
disclosure and associated factors in under-investigated
contexts (Mali, Morocco, Democratic Republic of
the Congo, Ecuador and Romania). A community-based
cross-sectional study was implemented by a mixed consortium
[researchers/community-based organizations (CBO)].
Trained CBO members interviewed 1,500 PLHIV in contact
with CBOs using a 125-item questionnaire. A weighted
multivariate logistic regression was performed. Among the
1,212 participants included in the analysis, 290 (23.9 %)
declared that disclosure was a mistake. Female gender,
percentage of PLHIV’s network knowing about one’s
seropositivity from a third party, having suffered rejection
after disclosure, having suffered HIV-based discrimination
at work, perceived seriousness of infection score, daily
loneliness, property index and self-esteem score were
independently associated with regret. Discrimination, as
well as individual characteristics and skills may affect the
disclosure experience. Interventions aiming at improving
PLHIV skills and reducing their social isolation may
facilitate the disclosure process and avoid negative
consequences.