FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH HIV VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE TO ONE'S STEADY SEXUAL PARTNER IN MALI: RESULTS FROM A COMMUNITY-BASED STUDY

International audienceDespite the widespread dissemination of HIV information throughpublic awareness campaigns in Mali, disclosing seropositivity to one’s steadysexual partner (SSP) remains difficult for people living with HIV (PLHIV). Disclosureis a public health concern with serious implications and is also stronglylinked to the quality of life of PLHIV. This study aimed to analyse factorsassociated with voluntary HIV disclosure to one’s SSP, using a community-basedcross-sectional study on 300 adult PLHIV in contact with a Malian communitybasedorganization working in the field of AIDS response. A 125-item questionnairewas administered by trained personnel to study participants between Mayand October 2011. Analysis was restricted to the 219 participants who bothreported having a SSP and answered to the question on disclosure to theirSSP. A weighted multivariate logistic regression was used to determine variablesindependently associated with disclosure. In total, 161 participants (73%) reportedHIV disclosure to their SSP. Having children (odds ratio [95% confidenceinterval]: 4.52 [1.84–11.12]), being accompanied to the survey site (3.66[1.00–13.33]), knowing others who had publicly declared their seropositivity(3.12 [1.59–6.12]), having higher self-esteem (1.55 [1.09–2.19]) and using meansother than anti-retroviral treatment to treat HIV (0.33 [0.11–1.00]) were independentlyassociated with disclosure. This study identified several factors thatshould be considered for the design of interventions aimed at facilitating disclosureif/when desired in this cultural context