title: The role of HIV serostatus disclosure on sexual risk behaviours among people living with HIV in steady partnerships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
abstract: Understanding partnership dynamics is a crucial step in the process of HIV serostatus disclosure to partners. This study examines the relational characteristics associated with HIV serostatus disclosure and the role of disclosure on sexual behaviours within steady partnerships among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The overall study surveyed 900 participants from six large public health facilities to investigate psychosocial and structural factors associated with sexual health and well-being. This analysis focuses on 489 individuals reporting being in steady partnerships, 86% of whom reported HIV serostatus disclosure to steady partners. After adjusting for demographic variables, attitudes towards disclosure, having an HIV-positive partner, living with partner and longer relationships were significantly associated with reported disclosure in multivariable logistic regression. Living with partner was negatively associated with partner concurrency. However, having an HIV-positive partner, sex under the influence of drugs or alcohol and experiencing physical aggression by a steady partner were negatively associated with consistent condom use. Interventions supporting PLHIV to safely and voluntarily disclose to partners may be an effective prevention approach between steady partners; however, partner violence and substance use should be addressed in future work.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Paediatrics , Johns Hopkins School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA.
authors.forename: Lana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Francisco I
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: Bastos
authors.forename: Neilane
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bertoni
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malta
authors.forename: Deanna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kerrigan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012747:Sexual Partners; D047568:Unsafe Sex
keywords: Brazil; HIV; disclosure; sexual risk behaviour; steady partner