To Say or Not to Say: A Qualitative Study on the Disclosure of Their Condition by Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Positive Adolescents

Purpose: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive adolescents face a number of challenges in the reasons why. and the extent to which. adolescents may or may not disclose their condition to others. Methods: A semistructure interview lasting 40-110 to minutes was conducted with each of 29 adolescents 12-20 years old, 22 female and seven male living in Switzerland. Interviews were tape recorded and transcribed verbatim. The analysis of the content of interviews allowed LIS to identify salient topics disclosure, which were then explored in detail. Results: Of 29 participants, eight had not disclosed their condition to anyone outside the family. 19 had disclosed it to good friends. and 16 had disclosed it to sonic teachers. Four participants had angaged status to disclosure. and six of 10 sexually active teanages disclosed then partners. The attitudes toward disclosure among younger mostly related 10 those of the parents, particularly the mother. Older adolescents, engaged in their search For autonomy to decide independently what to say and to whom. Although foster/adoptive parents would often encourage disclosure, biological parents especially HIV-positive mothers. insisted oil not disclosing the adolescent's status for fear of stigma. Conclusion: The health care learn address the issue of disclosure with the adolescent and his family (or Foster parents). the aim being to balance the right of the adolescent and that adolescent's, family to maintain privacy against the concerns of of sexual partners, as well as the adolescent's interest divulging HIV status to relatives. school staff. and friends. (C) 2009 Society for Adolescent Medicine. All rights reserved.