Sexual Behaviour and Serostatus Disclosure among Persons Living With HIV in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

The study aimed at assessing the practice of HIV status disclosure, sexual behaviour and knowledge of disclosure and safe sex practices among HIV seropositive individuals attending the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Clinic at the University College Hospital, Ibadan. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select 392 HIV positive adults at the PEPFAR clinic. Data were collected using a validated interviewer-administered questionnaire containing a 12-point knowledge scale. The mean age of respondents was 35.6 ± 9.6 years. Majority (69.9%) were females and 59.4% were married. The overall mean safe sex knowledge score of the respondents was 8.3 ± 2.4. Majority (70.9%) were aware that disclosure of HIV status to a partner before having sex could reduce HIV transmission, while 92.7% knew that consistent and correct use of condom could prevent its spread. However, only 39% of respondents had disclosed their status to all their sexual partners. More married respondents (48.5%) disclosed their status than the unmarried (27.0%) (p<0.05). The proportions of female and male respondents who disclosed their status were 40.3% and 37.1% respectively. Hindrances to disclosure included fear of stigmatization (46.4%) and fear of abandonment (26.4%). Majority of respondents (75.5%) who had disclosed their status to all sexual partners practiced safe sex than those who had not disclosed (59.2%) (p<0.05). Positive attitude towards the disclosure of one’s serostatus to sexual partners and safe sex was exhibited by 62.8% and 58.4% of the respondents respectively. Non-usage of condom was more among the unmarried (38.6%) than the married (23.2%) (p<0.05); it was also more among females (33.8%) than males (28.7%), (p<0.05). High rates of non-disclosure of HIV status and unsafe sexual practices were noted. HIV/AIDS educational programmes and media campaigns should be intensified to promote the adoption of serostatus disclosure and safe sexual practices among HIV positive persons.

Keywords: Serostatus disclosure, HIV positive persons, Sexual behaviour