title: HIV Serostatus Disclosure and Engagement in Medical Care Among Predominantly Low Income but Insured African American Adults with HIV.
abstract: More than half of persons living with HIV (PLWH) do not enter into or remain in continuous HIV medical care. Disclosure of HIV serostatus to social contacts may play an important role in successful engagement of PLWH with medical care. The effect of disclosure on medical care engagement was examined in a sample of African American PLWH (n = 262) recruited from community-based organizations as part of a peer community health worker initiative. At baseline assessment, many of the PLWH (46 %) reported they had not disclosed their serostatus to others. Engagement in medical care was assessed 45 and 90 days after enrollment. Participants who disclosed their HIV status were subsequently more likely to engage in HIV medical care (78 %) than persons who did not disclose their status (66 %), an effect that was confirmed in multiple logistic regression. The findings highlight disclosure as an important predictor of engagement in HIV medical care for PLWH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral and Community Health, University of Maryland Prevention Research Center, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, Building #255 Valley Drive, College Park, MD, 20742, USA. tanyageiger@gmail.com.
authors.forename: T
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0641-0281
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Geiger
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral and Community Health, University of Maryland Prevention Research Center, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, Building #255 Valley Drive, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute for Public Health Innovation, 1301 Connecticut Ave., Suite 200, Washington, DC, 20036, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Charles
authors.affiliation: MayaTech Corporation, 8401 Colesville Road, Suite 430, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Randolph
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral and Community Health, University of Maryland Prevention Research Center, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, Building #255 Valley Drive, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Boekeloo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D003717:Denial, Psychological; D030881:Disclosure; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010358:Patient Participation; D011203:Poverty; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012919:Social Behavior; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: African American; Denial; Disclosure; HIV; Medical Care