Disclosure of HIV Serostatus and Household Well-Being in Kenya

Abstract

These authors explore the use of self-disclosure and third-party disclosure of positive HIV serostatus among low-income parents. Using a grounded theory approach, face-to-face interviews were conducted with participants from Nairobi and Central provinces in Kenya. The findings indicate that disclosure is effective in procuring resources related with formal social services in such a way as to mitigate, if not counteract, the deleterious effect of HIV/AIDS on household wealth and intergenerational educational attainment. The findings suggest the encouragement of disclosure as a way to access services designed to enhance the capacities of low-income families impacted by HIV/AIDS.