Disclosure of HIV Positive Status and Network Characteristics Among a Cohort of People Living with HIV in Western Kenya
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24215834 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Adel Mburia-Mwalili (0000-0002-5798-3920), Karla D Wagner, Lukoye Atwoli (0000-0001-7710-9723), Francesca Odhiambo (0000-0002-3503-2294), Haosen Sun (0000-0003-2907-0443), Jayne Lewis-Kulzer (0000-0003-3314-9891), Suzanne Goodrich (0000-0002-0620-7585), Kara Wools-Kaloustian, Jennifer L Syvertsen |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-09-27 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | AIDS and Behavior (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1090-7165 • E-ISSN: 1573-3254 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10461-026-05300-5 |
| PMID | 42801431 |
| OpenAlex | W7214534158 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 38 |
Disclosure of HIV serostatus is critical in managing the health and well-being of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), yet the decision to disclose is shaped by complex interpersonal and contextual factors. The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of HIV status disclosure and social support, and to characterize disclosure networks among a cohort of PLWHA in Kenya. We conducted a cross-sectional egocentric social network analysis of 174 PLWHA and their network members to examine whether characteristics of participants (egos), their networks, and network members (alters) were associated with HIV serostatus disclosure. Generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) examined alter characteristics, social support, trust levels, and an interaction between trust and intimate partners in predicting disclosure. The model was also stratified by trust to assess differences between low and high trust. Overall, 163 (93.7%) participants disclosed their HIV status to at least one person in their network. In the multivariable analyses stratified by trust, in ego-alter dyads where trust is high, the odds of disclosure are higher (aOR 35.34, 95% CI [10.05-124.32]) if the alter is a partner and a child (aOR 3.60, 95% CI [1.31-9.87]). In addition, disclosure was significantly more likely with alters perceived to provide health-related support (aOR 16.43, 95% CI [8.17-33.03]) or emotional support (aOR 3.20, 95% CI [1.75-5.86]). In Kenya, where disclosure decisions intersect with social dynamics, understanding the characteristics of disclosure networks can inform public health interventions that strengthen supportive relationships and reduce barriers to disclosure.
Children · Emotional support · HIV status disclosure · intimate partners · people living with HIV · Social support · Trust · Western Kenya · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk · HIV/AIDS Impact and Responses · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
Egocentric Network Analysis
Applied Longitudinal Analysis
Social Support and Patient Adherence to Medical Treatment
Stress, Social Support, and HIV-Status Disclosure to Family and Friends Among HIV-Positive Men and Women
A Test Of Two HIV Disclosure Theories
Sex specific differences in HIV status disclosure and care engagement among people living with HIV in rural communities in Kenya and Uganda
HIV status disclosure among HIV-positive African and Afro-Caribbean people in the Netherlands
“How can I tell?” Consequences of HIV status disclosure among couples in eastern African communities in the context of an ongoing HIV “test-and-treat” trial
Disclosure of HIV among black African men and women attending a London HIV clinic
Personal network characteristics as antecedents to needle-sharing and shooting gallery attendance
Eliciting representative samples of personal networks
Use of a counsellor supported disclosure model to improve the uptake of couple HIV testing and counselling in Kenya
Facilitating HIV status disclosure for pregnant women and partners in rural Kenya
Social and sexual networks of newly diagnosed people living with HIV
When they are all grown, I will tell them”
Randomized Controlled Trial of Game Changers, a Social Network Intervention for HIV Prevention in Uganda
Motivations and Methods for Self-disclosure of HIV Seropositivity in Nairobi, Kenya
African-American Women and Self-Disclosure of HIV Infection
Disclosure of HIV Status to Sex Partners Among HIV-Infected Men and Women in Cape Town, South Africa
HIV Disclosure to Family Members and Medication Adherence
Differences in the Social Networks of African American Men Who Have Sex With Men Only and Those Who Have Sex With Men and Women
Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis
The psychological implications of concealing a stigma
Critical Delays in HIV Testing and Care
| Highly cited | No |
|---|