In many cases, sharing the diagnosis of HIV can help people to adjust to their diagnosis. However, several factors may impede this process. A secondary data analysis of 50 HIV-positive adults found that African Americans delayed sharing their diagnosis with others longer than Euro-Americans. In addition, those who perceived more stigma against HIV took longer to tell someone and took longer to adjust to their diagnosis. Implications for practice and research are posited.
GallagherS. M. (1998) Cultural influences on medical disclosure. Ostomy Wound Management, 44, 16–18.
3.
JaiH.UpholdC. R.WuS.ReidK.FindleyK.DuncanP. W. (2004) Health-related quality of life among men with HIV infection: effects of social support, coping, and depression. AIDS Patient Care and STDs, 18, 594–603.
4.
JohnstonD.StallR.SmithK. (1995) Reliance by gay men and intravenous drug users on friends and family for AIDS-related care. AIDS Care, 7, 307–319.
5.
KlitzmanR. L.KirshenbaumS. B.DodgeB.RemienR. H.EhrhardtA. A.JohnsonM. O.KittelL. E.DayaS.MorinS. F.KellyJ.LightfootM., Rotheram-Borus, M. J., & the NIMH Healthy Living Trial Group (2004) Intricacies and inter-relationships between HIV disclosure and HAART: a qualitative study. AIDS Care, 16, 628–640.
6.
O'BrienM. E.Richardson-AlstonG.AyoubM.MagnusM.PetermanT. A.KissingerP. (2003) Prevalence and correlates of HIV serostatus disclosure. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 30, 731–735.
7.
PinskyL.DouglasP. H. (1992) The essential HIV treatment fact book. New York: Pocket Book.
8.
RadloffL. S. (1977) The CES-D Scale: a self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1, 385–401.
9.
RussellD.PeplauL. A.CutronaC. E. (1980) The revised UCLA Loneliness Scale: concurrent and discriminant validity evidence. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 39, 472–480.
10.
SerovichJ. M.EsbensenA. J.MasonT. L. (2005) HIV disclosure by men who have sex with men to immediate family over time. AIDS Patient Care and STDs, 19, 506–517.
11.
SimoniJ. M.PantaloneD. W. (2004) Secrets and safety in the age of AIDS: does HIV disclosure lead to safer sex. Topics in HIV Medicine, 12, 109–118.
12.
SolorioR.SwendemanD.Rotheram-BorusM. J. (2003) Risk among young gay and bisexual men living with HIV. AIDS Education & Prevention, 15, 80–89.
13.
SowellR. L.LowensteinA.MoneyhamL.DemiA.MizunoY.SealsB. F. (1997) Resources, stigma, and patterns of disclosure in rural women with HIV infection. Public Health Nursing, 14, 302–312.
14.
VanceD. E.WoodleyR. W.BurrageJ. W.Jr. (in press) Predictors of cognitive ability in adults aging with HIV: a pilot study. Clinical Gerontologist.