Disclosure of Positive HIV Serostatus by Men Who Have Sex with Men to Family and Friends Over Time

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine retrospective reports of rates of HIV disclosure to family and friends over a 15-year time span. Participants included 116 HIV-positive men who have sex with men recruited primarily from an AIDS clinical trials unit associated with a large Midwestern university. Disclosure data were collected on all family members and friends. Results indicated that friends were disclosed to more often than family, but that at any point in time after diagnosis the relative risk of being disclosed to was not statistically significant. Furthermore, neither gender of the family member or friend, race, age at the time of disclosure, level of current satisfaction, nor age of the participant at the time of disclosure significantly influenced disclosure rates over time.