Disclosure of serostatus by HIV infected youth: The experience of the REACH study

Purpose: To describe disclosure of HIV serostatus by infected youth to pare nts and sexual partners and to examine the association of disclosure with s ubject characteristics. Methods: Baseline data on 317 HIV infected adolescents in national 15 site study were examined. Data sources included direct and computer-assisted int erview, laboratory studies, and chart reviews. Examination of parental disc losure was restricted to subjects without parental permission requirements. Concordance in parental disclosure/support used McNemar's test. Associatio ns between disclosure to parent(s) and subject characteristics were examine d using logistic regression analysis. Repeated measure analysis was used fo r sexual partner disclosure. Results: Subjects of both genders more often disclosed their HIV infection status to mothers than to their fathers (77% vs. 47%, p < .001). With discl osure, perceived support from either parent was high. In multivariate analy ses, factors associated with maternal disclosure were length of time since diagnosis (OR = 1.43; 95% CI: 1.06-1.92), and Hispanic ethnicity (OR =.37; 95% CI:.15-.95). No factors were significantly associated with paternal dis closure in multivariate analysis, although length of time since diagnosis s howed a trend (OR = 1.31; 95% CI: 1.00-1.74). Factors associated with discl osure to sexual partners were partner's HIV+ status (OR = 2.09; 95% CI: 1.1 1-3.93) and "main partner" status (OR = 3.17; 95% Cl: 1.84-5.46). Conclusions: Although subjects were more likely to reveal their status to t heir mothers, parental support was perceived as high after disclosure to ei ther parent. Since "time since diagnosis" was associated with parental disc losure, support systems are necessary for youth until such a disclosure can occur. Society for Adolescent Medicine, 2001.