Mutual HIV status disclosure is associated with consistent condom use in public sector ART clients in Free State province, South Africa: a short report

ABSTRACT

Risky sexual behaviour in PLWHA on antiretroviral therapy threatens both prevention and treatment efforts, but disclosure promises to support safer sexual practices. This paper investigates the association between HIV self-disclosure and consistent condom use in a cohort of public sector patients on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment. Using data from the FEATS cohort study, logistic regression analysis shows that knowledge of your partner’s HIV status is positively associated with consistent condom use (OR 2.73, 95% CI 1.37–5.43, p = 0.004) and so too mutual HIV disclosure (OR 3.38, 95% CI 1.60–7.18, p = 0.001). Prevention and treatment programmes, through couple HIV counselling and testing (CHCT) and other assistance programmes, should focus on supporting the mutual disclosure of HIV status among PLWHA on ARV treatment.

KEYWORDS:

• Antiretroviral therapy
• ART
• condom use
• HIV disclosure
• HIV/AIDS
• South Africa

Acknowledgement

We thank the study participants and the fieldwork staff as well as the Free State Department of Health (FSDOH) and National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by: Research Committee of the World Bank; The Bank Netherlands Partnership Program; WB-DfiD Evaluation of Community Response to HIV and AIDS; Programme to Support Pro-Poor Policy Development (PSPPD), a partnership between the Presidency, Republic of South Africa and the European Union; Health Economics and Aids Research Division (HEARD), UKZN; University of the Free State (UFS); and National Research Foundation (NRF), South Africa. The findings, interpretations and conclusions in the paper are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of funding agencies.