title: HIV prevention with positives and disclosure of HIV status: practice and views of Thai healthcare providers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study provides information from health care providers about sexual practices of and preventive and disclosure counseling for People Living with HIVand AIDS (PLWHA).
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey of health care providers attending HIV prevention workshops was undertaken using self-administered and anonymous questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 678 respondents, 72% were nurses. Ninety-six percent agreed that they had duty to provide prevention services and measures. However, less than half (46%) had enough time for counseling. Asking health providers to estimate different aspects of sexual practice in their patients, the highest chosen band estimation was 'unsafe sex' (21-40%), 'partner disclosure' (41-60%) and 'abstinence' (0-10%). When patients did not disclose their HIV status to partner most health care providers kept HIV serostatus of patient confidential from their sexual partners. The main reasons for not notifying were patients 'rights and fear of adverse effects on patients. Some (9%) did notify the patient's partner directly or indirectly. The main notification reasons were for preventing HIV transmission and recognizing the partner's right to be informed. Seventy percent agreed that a law should require disclosure of HIV status to husband, wife, or intimate partner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health care providers supported the 'Prevention with Positives' strategy. HIVstatus disclosure is a continuing ethical dilemma since there are conflicts of principle between confidentiality of patients and right to healthy life of their partner Improved or new interventions are needed to prevent HIV transmission with consideration of both rights of PLWHA and of HIV risk reduction for sexual partner.
authors.affiliation: Health Systems and Policy, Faculty of Medicine, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand. sakchaichai@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Sakchai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chaiyamahapurk
authors.forename: Supasit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pannarunothai
authors.forename: Tawesak
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nopkesorn
mesh_terms: D003219:Confidentiality; D003376:Counseling; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012747:Sexual Partners; D013785:Thailand; D014342:Truth Disclosure / Q000941:ethics