As the HIV epidemic enters its third decade, it remains one of the most pressing health issues of our time. Many aspects of the disease remain under-researched and inadequate attention has been given to the implications for the relationships and daily lives of those affected by HIV. Disclosing an HIV diagnosis remains a decision process fraught with difficulty and despite encouraging medical advances, an HIV diagnosis creates significant anxiety and distress about one's health, self-identity, and close relationships. This book provides an overarching view of existing research on privacy and disclosure while bringing together two significant areas: self-disclosure as a communication process and the social/relational consequences of HIV/AIDS. The unifying framework is communication privacy management and the focus of this volume is on private voluntary relational disclosure as opposed to forced or public disclosure. Utilizing numerous interviews with HIV patients and their families, the authors examine disclosure in a variety of social contexts, including relationships with intimate partners, families, friends, health workers, and coworkers. Of note are the examinations of predictors of willingness to disclose HIV infection, the message features of disclosure, and the consequences of both disclosure and non-disclosure. This volume, with its personal exercises and sources of additional information, offers an invaluable resource for individuals living with HIV and their significant others, as well as for professionals in the fields of health communication, social and health psychology, family therapy, clinical and counseling psychology, relationship research, infectious disease, and social service.

A riveting look at how people struggle to disclose their HIV status with sexual partners after testing positive. This enthralling self-help motivational book, provides everyone living with HIV, courage to relinquish their fear of disclosure. As well as shares resources and personal HIV dating sites, to help ease the need to share one's HIV status with sexual partners. Bradley Fowler conveys a dynamic look at life with HIV, and removes the fear of disclosure by sharing two short-stories about couples learning to disclose and accept HIV as a reality in their daily life. Packed with sincere hope, love, and guidance to inspire all, and evoke disclosure in an effort to decrease the continued growth of HIV infection rates globally.

This review paper synthesizes the current information available on HIV status disclosure in terms of rates barriers and outcomes of HIV status disclosure among HIV-infected individuals. Particular emphasis is placed on women's experiences with disclosure to sexual partners. The report also aims to identify major barriers and describe programmatic and policy strategies that have been adopted to address these barriers and support women through the disclosure process.

While HIV/AIDS is a global public heath challenge, its impact is arguably greatest in the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where new infections account for approximately 66% of the total number of HIV-positive persons globally. In SSA, medical, social, and economic resources are limited, thus necessitating innovative approaches to disease prevention. One of the mechanisms of prevention that is most promising occurs through HIV disclosure to family members (e.g., adult sexual partners) generally, and to children in particular. Our emphasis in this eBook is on HIV disclosure to children because it has multiple benefits, including improved adherence to antiretroviral medication treatment and understanding at an early age of the impact of sexual activity on the spread of HIV. While there is a noticeable gap in research on HIV disclosure to younger children, some of the general reasons for non-disclosure include concerns about fear of adult partners leaving relationships, and that children are too young to comprehend the severity of the situation and may tell others outside the family. Thus, it is critical to better understand how the HIV disclosure process happens (or does not happen) within HIV-affected families, as well as the best practices on how to disclose. In this eBook, we present a combination of empirical research studies and critical literature reviews that investigate the reasons for and for not disclosing HIV status within HIV-affected families and provide evidence-based practices that could be adopted by healthcare professionals to help HIV-positive parents facilitate disclosure activities within these families. This information can also be used by researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders who are in a position to influence policies on effective HIV disclosure practices, guidelines, and programs.

Talking about living with HIV is difficult. But knowing how to talk about your diagnosis can be easy, as long as you have the tools you need to do so. Learn why talking about your HIV diagnosis should be practiced, and free yourself from the shame you feel.