HIV/AIDS remains a global public health problem. HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, “acquired immunodeficiency syndrome” has become one of the world’s most serious health and development challenges. A critical element of reducing HIV transmission risk is disclosure of HIV sero status by HIV positive individuals. Disclosure is recommended during post-test counseling since it supports risk reduction behaviours and facilitates access to prevention, care and treatment services for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), their partner(s) or infant(s).⁶

This study aimed to determine preferred audience of HIV status disclosure among HIV positive individuals, compare preferred audience of HIV status disclosure among HIV positive individuals and to assess and compare reasons for HIV status disclosure to preferred audience among HIV positive individuals in urban and rural areas of Cross River State.

Material and Method: The study was cross-sectional descriptive among 160 HIV positive individuals each from urban and rural areas of Cross River State selected by multi-stage sampling technique. A pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on sociodemographic, HIV status disclosure and audience of disclosure.

Results: The highest number of married/cohabiting respondents reported they disclosed to their spouse (31.1%. This was higher in the urban compared with rural (36.2% versus 25.0%). This was followed by disclosure to biological relative also higher in urban than rural (31.3% versus 23.6%). More respondents reported disclosure to their mother in rural than urban (12.5% versus 7.7%). Audience of disclosure to whom the least number of respondents disclosed their HIV status to in both study area was work colleague (2.0%) by urban and (0.5%) by rural respondents. Reasons for HIV status disclosure in the urban area were to get encouragement, advice or to encourage others, to help their spouse/sex partner go for test. Among the rural respondents, the highest reason reported was to enable them take their HAART freely.

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Iwasam Elemi Agbor

Senior Consultant, Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Calabar, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria