Influence of Social Cultural Factors on HIV Seropositivity Disclosure to Sexual Partners in Kenya
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Date
2020
Authors
Ndayala, Phoebe D.
Ngige, Lucy W.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
EAST AFRICAN NATURE & SCIENCE ORGANIZATION
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to assess whether sociocultural factors have an
influence on the self-disclosure of HIV serostatus to intimate partners among
People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA). A survey was conducted among 232
randomly selected respondents who were HIV seropositive and were members of a
registered community-based support group for PLWHA in Nairobi, Kenya. Data
was gathered by means of semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions.
Results revealed that the marital status of the respondents varied from never
married (13.4%), married (27.6%), separated (26.3%), divorced (4.3%) and
widowed (28.4%). Approximately half of the respondents (50.4%) had disclosed
their HIV serostatus to their intimate partners while 49.6% had not. The binary
logistic regression results established that some socio-cultural factors fostered HIV
seropositivity disclosure while others did not. The positive predictors of HIV
serostatus disclosure were gender inequalities in the sexual relationship
(AOR=4.129; p=0.011), the role of females as dependent housewives
(AOR=1.322; P=0.004), anticipated divorce following HIV disclosure
(AOR=2.578; p=0.014) and the cultural belief that HIV was a curse (AOR=2.444;
p=0.005). However, sexual behaviour such as homosexuality, rape, incest, sex with
minors and extramarital sex (AOR=0.225; p=0.001), intimate partner violence
(AOR=0.220; p=0.001), the subordination of females by their male partners
(AOR=0.351; p=0.002) and the fear of exclusion from the cultural rite of wife
inheritance during widowhood (AOR=0.410; p=0.002) were negative predictors of
disclosure of HIV serostatus. This implies that there was no likelihood of HIV
disclosure, thereby putting intimate partners at risk of HIV infection. It was
recommended that there was the need to promote community discourse on HIV and
AIDS in order to reduce the socio-cultural barriers to self-disclosure of HIV
Description
article in East African Journal of Health and Science, Volume 2, Issue 1, 2020
Keywords
HIV and AIDS, Cultural Barriers, Customary Beliefs, Sexual Behaviour, HIV Serostatus, Self-Disclosure
Citation
Ngige, L., & Ndayala, P. (2020). Effects of Anticipated Stigma and Discrimination on Self-Disclosure of HIV Seropositive Status among People Living with HIV and AIDS in Kenya. East African Journal of Health and Science, 2(1), 62-74. https://doi.org/10.37284/eajhs.2.1.224