The Effect of Counseling for Disclosing Human Immunodeficiency Virus Test Results in Discordant Couples on the Success of Disclosing the Test Result and Its Associated Factors at the Antenatal Care Department of the Bamrasnaradura Institute

Abstract

Disclosure of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) status within serodiscordant couples is crucial for preventing transmission. Nevertheless, the complexity of individual and social factors continues to impede access to healthcare systems. This retrospective descriptive study aimed to examine the outcomes of counseling for pregnant women and their partners who have serodiscordant HIV test results and have not disclosed their HIV status to their partners. Additionally, the study sought to analyze the factors associated with successful status disclosure. The sample comprised all pregnant women and their partners who had not disclosed their positive HIV status during antenatal care at Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute, totaling 36 individuals. The research instruments included a personal information record form, a counseling service issues record form, and a counseling outcome record form, all demonstrating content validity ranging from 0.67 to 1.0 and a Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient of 0.8. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, with comparisons between the disclosure and non-disclosure groups conducted using the chi-square statistic.

Results: A sample cohort of 36 individuals, predominantly female and HIV-positive, who had cohabited for a duration of 1 to 3 years and had been aware of their HIV status for no more than one year, was studied. Following navigation-based counseling, 30 participants successfully disclosed their HIV status, whereas 6 did not. Factors significantly correlated with successful disclosure included gender, age, type of service recipient, duration of cohabitation, and the length of time they had known their status, with statistical significance at p < .05. Consequently, the provision of counseling services both prior to and following blood testing for pregnant women and their partners, commencing from the initial disclosure of their test results, is instrumental in promoting the disclosure of HIV status. This approach facilitates the integration of HIV-positive individuals into treatment systems and aids in preventing transmission to sexual partners and offspring.