social context of disclosing hiv test results: hiv testing in tanzania

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5.2 Conditions under Which People Seek an HIV Test In this study, respondents who had just taken an HIV test and those who were living with AIDS were asked what had motivated them to get tested for HIV. Respondents were allowed to mention more than one factor. The table below shows their responses. The row labelled “poor health condition” includes anyone who talked about symptoms of illness they had been suffering from for some time. The phrase “to know HIV status” refers to individuals who said they had lost a spouse and were concerned that they were HIV positive. Table 5.1 PLWHA and respondents who were tested recently by sex and reasons for HIV testing Reason for HIV testing People living with HIV/AIDS People tested for HIV recently Female Male Total Female Male Total % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. Poor health condition 56 15 80 24 68 39 57 20 64 14 60 34 To know HIV status To answer a call for 41 11 10 3 25 14 34 12 23 5 30 17 HIV testing 4 1 10 3 7 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 Peer influence 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 9 2 5 3 Not mentioned 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 2 5 1 5 3 Total 100 27 100 30 100 57 100 35 100 22 100 57 The table above shows that poor health condition was the main reason for both categories of respondents in deciding to be tested for HIV: 68 percent of those who had been living with HIV infection for some time and 60 percent of those recently tested. The data also show that 25 percent of PLWHA and 30 percent of respondents who were tested recently sought an HIV test not because they were in poor health, but because they just wanted to know their HIV serostatus. As shown later in this chapter, such people were influenced to be tested by many other reasons. The data presented in Table 5.1 show that the respondents can be divided into two distinct groups. The first group is people who sought an HIV test because they were in poor health, and the second group is people who decided to take an HIV test for other reasons. Because the circumstances under which the two groups were compelled to be tested for HIV are different, the two groups are discussed separately. 5.2.1 Poor Health as a Reason for HIV Testing After HIV enters the body, the immune function is reduced and the body is less able to fight infections and cancers. The infected people may then develop symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes, fever, fatigue, and weight loss. These early symptoms may vary in severity, as this gentleman from Iringa indicated: I began to feel ill in 2000. Each time I was ill I felt pneumonia, headache or fever. At the hospital they kept telling me that I had chronic malaria. But in 2004 they said I was suffering from TB. In 2006 they examined me and told me I was HIV positive. 32
Many respondents who stated that they got tested because of poor health mentioned different types of symptoms of chronic illness that compelled them to take an HIV test. The three main symptoms that were mentioned by respondents living with AIDS were fever (33 percent), TB (26 percent), and abdominal pain (13 percent). The same symptoms ranked high for both men and women among PLWHAs. Among people who had just taken an HIV test and who tested positive for HIV, the three main symptoms mentioned were fever (35 percent), chest pain (16 percent), and coughing (16 percent). Other symptoms mentioned by both PLWHAs and recently tested VCT clients were mumps, headache, herpes zoster, STIs, TB, swollen legs, and rushes. For these respondents, it was clearly their diarrhoea circumstances of poor health over a period of time that brought them in for an HIV test. The conversations below between the researchers and the respondents illustrate cases of this kind. Case 1 Case 2 Researcher: Why did you decide to take an HIV test? Respondent: I have been sick for a long time and have been going to the hospital but I never felt better. For example, I would leave the hospital today, and then the following day I develop something else like headache or stomach ache. Another day I would feel that my feet were aching. I became tired and wanted to know what I was suffering from. Researcher: Why did you decide to get tested for AIDS and not for any other disease? Respondent: I got tested for malaria but they would say I have no malaria. But I still felt sick. I would be having high fever, but still the doctors would say you are not suffering from anything. Every time I went to the hospital the answer was the same. Since I was feeling very sick, I really wanted to know what I was suffering from. That is why I decided to take an HIV test. Researcher: Can you please kindly tell me when you first discovered that you were HIV positive? Respondent: It was this year. Researcher: Which month? Respondent: It was in February. 33
Page 1: SOCIAL CONTEXT OF DISCLOSING HIV TE
Page 4 and 5: Cover photo: Iringa bus station (Jo
Page 6 and 7: 5.4 Benefits of VCT ...............
Page 9: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many institutions
Page 13 and 14: Study Objectives EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Page 15 and 16: HIV Counselling The respondents wer
Page 17: discrimination than are women. In a
Page 20 and 21: 1.2 Statement of the Problem It is
Page 22 and 23: 1.5 Significance of the Study The s
Page 24 and 25: Major Lakes HIV prevalance (THIS 20
Page 26 and 27: Stigma tends to affect men and wome
Page 28 and 29: The other challenge that VCT facili
Page 30 and 31: to their sexual partner or did not
Page 32 and 33: Disclosure to significant others ca
Page 34 and 35: and that encouraging disclosure onl
Page 37 and 38: 4. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS OF DATA
Page 39 and 40: testing to side-step the stigma ass
Page 41 and 42: (b) Alamano Health Centre Alamano H
Page 43 and 44: Twenty-five of the respondents (44
Page 45 and 46: 4.6.1 Conversation Guide for Respon
Page 47: showing such information in confide
Page 52 and 53: Researcher: Where did you take your
Page 54 and 55: 5.2.2 Respondents’ Other Reasons
Page 56 and 57: She, however, went to get tested as
Page 58 and 59: 5.3 Social Relations and HIV Testin
Page 61 and 62: 6.1 Introduction 6. COUNSELLING AND
Page 63 and 64: Many clients come to us with many r
Page 65 and 66: usually insisted on getting the tes
Page 67 and 68: There is no doubt that such a perso
Page 69 and 70: some respondents told us that those
Page 71 and 72: To understand the effects of ARVs o
Page 73 and 74: 7.1 Introduction 7. DISCLOSURE AND
Page 75 and 76: Respondent: People differ. Research
Page 77 and 78: Researcher: Do you have other reaso
Page 79 and 80: …eeh since I became sick, I had t
Page 81 and 82: Female respondents were often afrai
Page 83 and 84: lose the job as well as be chased a
Page 85 and 86: 7.6 Disclosure and HIV Prevention R
Page 87: however, that disclosure is limited
Page 90 and 91: 8.2 Respondents’ Views of Counsel
Page 92 and 93: Patients now wait for equipment or
Page 95 and 96: REFERENCES AMREF. 2008. Angaza HIV
Page 97 and 98: Klitzman, R.L., S.B. Kirshenbaum, B
Page 99: Skogmar, S., D. Shakely, M. Lans, J
Page 102 and 103:
Questions: What kind of work do you
Page 104 and 105:
Questions: What thoughts have you h
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