Missed Opportunities? Disclosure of HIV Infection and Support Seeking Among HIV+ African-American and European-American Men

Abstract

Self-disclosure of HIV infection was examined among 105 African-American men and 264 European-American men sampled randomly at two outpatient HIV clinics in Los Angeles. After statistically controlling for potentially confounding factors, it was found that the African-Americans were less likely to disclose their serostatus to intimate lovers, close friends, and family members or to discuss HIV-related worries with others. There were no ethnic differences in the actual interpersonal reactions to disclosure rated by men who had informed a person or in the anticipated interpersonal reaction rated by men who had not disclosed. In general, the men reported supportive reactions to their disclosures. Implications for counselors and clinicians treating men with HIV infection are discussed.