Disclosure of HIV seropositivity and social support: general patterns in Greece

Abstract

The present study examined the impact of HIV on the families of Greek seropositive individuals. We investigated which people Greek HIV-infected individuals include in their definition of ‘close family’, to which of these people they disclosed their medical condition, the nature of changes that occurred after disclosure, and the relationship between disclosure and provision of social support by ‘close family’ members. Sixty-four Greek HIV-positive people participated in the study. They were recruited from a non-governmental organization and a public hospital. The participants completed a self-administered questionnaire. The majority of the respondents included in their definitions of ‘close family’ people from their family of origin (mainly mothers, fathers, brothers/sisters and children), as well as people from their family of choice (mainly friends and partners). With respect to disclosure of seropositivity, no significant difference was obtained in patterns of disclosure between the two kinds of family. After disclosure, significantly more positive changes were reported by participants than negative ones. The study revealed that disclosure of HIV has a significant impact on the family in terms of relationship changes and provision of social support.