Female Disclosure of HIV-Positive Serostatus to Sex Partners: A Two-City Study

The aims of this article are (1) to describe the prevalence of disclosure of HIV serostatus to sex partners among a racially/ethnically diverse sample of HIV-positive women living in Hawai'i and Seattle, Washington; and (2) to examine factors related to disclosure and condom use with those sex partners. HIV-positive women have difficulties consistently disclosing serostatus to sex partners and using condoms. Little is known about the disclosure practices of women from Hawai'i or Seattle. A cross-sectional design with convenience and snowball sampling was used, and up to three recent sex partner experiences were assessed among the HIV-positive participants (N = 84). A total of 133 recent sex partners were reported, with disclosure and condom use frequencies of 75.2 and 59.9%, respectively. Women who knew when it was safe to disclose were more likely to disclose. Women who disclosed to recent sex partners were less likely to use condoms, while those in casual/anonymous partnerships were more likely to use condoms. Hawaiian/part Hawaiian women had the lowest proportion of condom use. Health care personnel should routinely discuss disclosure and sexual transmission risk behaviors with seropositive women and offer strategies to enhance condom use, especially among those in committed partnerships. Culturally tailored interventions focused on strengthening efficacy beliefs for disclosure and condom use in Native Hawaiians are needed.