Barriers and facilitators of disclosing HIV-positive status to minors: an exploratory study among primary caregivers in South Africa.

Introduction: Disclosure of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status can be a problematic issue; it may cause a stressful and anxious situation in one's life before and after the process of HIV disclosure. Disclosure of HIV status to own child or children is even more difficult, as they may fear stigma, and many questions may arise after HIV disclosure. The purpose of the study was to explore and describe barriers and facilitators of disclosure of HIV status by parents, caregivers, and/or guardians, and to propose strategies to promote HIV status disclosure to infected minors. Material and methods: The study employed a qualitative exploratory-descriptive design. Participants were purposively selected in one community healthcare center in Thulamela municipality. Twenty-two participants were interviewed during data collection. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis. Results: Four themes emerged from the data, which included psycho-social challenge related to HIV disclosure, barriers that hinder HIV disclosure, facilitators of HIV disclosure, and suggestions to improve HIV disclosure. Conclusions: It is important to design strategies of HIV status disclosure that would improve parents/caregivers/guardians' skills and knowledge through health promotion, and constant involvement of key stakeholders in the process. There is a need for support groups for children living with HIV, as children would be able to mingle with their peers and learn from their experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]