| dc.description.abstract | Disclosure of HIV status to adolescents is controversial and a sensitive issue among
guardians, health workers, and parents of adolescents. However, HIV/AIDS is a chronic illness, and it’s a lifelong treatment. Adolescents who are HIV positive need to know their HIV status and treatment. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children should know their HIV status at the ages of 6 to 12 years. Many children living with HIV are reaching adolescence and young adulthood since anti-retroviral drugs have become more readily available (National AIDS Control Council, 2018). However, the most challenging subject among families of adolescents infected with HIV is whether or not to tell the adolescent about their diagnosis and, if they do, whether or not to allow the adolescents to say to others (Burmen et al., 2017; SCHMT, 2018a). This cross-sectional study investigated the determinants of HIV status disclosure among HIV-infected adolescents. Caregivers of 209 HIV-infected adolescents (10-19 years) who have been receiving HIV care and support treatment for at least six months and are taking lifelong anti-retroviral therapy from Got Agulu Sub County Hospital, Bondo County Hospital, and Uyawi Sub County Hospital in
Bondo Sub County were enrolled. A purposive and systematic random sampling method was used to select the health facilities and study participants. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Statistical analysis for quantitative data was done using Stata software version 15 (Stata Corp, College Station, TX). Adolescents aged 15-19 years were more likely to be fully disclosed to (aOR, 2.46, 95% CI 1.03-5.94, p-value=0.005<0.05. Those with low viral load levels were more likely to be disclosed to (aOR, 9.53, 95% CI 2.30-49.4, p-value=0.004). Adolescent caregivers who were married had significantly higher odds of fully disclosing (aOR, 5.43, 95% CI 1.25-27.5, p-value=0.030), same as caregivers who were biological parents (aOR, 4.84, 95% CI 1.34-19.5, p-value=0.019). Finally, caregivers who had been educated on HIV care and treatment package of care were significantly more likely to fully disclose (aOR, 14.1, 95% CI 4.03-62.3, p-value=<0.001). A high score in the quality of counselling results in an increased level of disclosure by 0.117. This study identified the age of the HIV-infected adolescent, the Quality of counselling service delivery offered to caregivers, current viral load levels of the HIV-infected
adolescents, the marital status of the adolescent caregiver, the relation of the caregiver to the adolescent and the knowledge of the caregiver on the caregiver package of care on HIV prevention care and treatment as the factors determining the HIV status disclosure. | en_US |
