HIV Positivity Disclosure Among Children Living with HIV/AIDS and Currently on HAART in Dessie, Northeast Ethiopia.

Background: Disclosure of HIV/AIDS positive test result to children is a continuing routine problem in the health care setting. Some of the families as well as the health care workers are negligent to inform children of their HIV status. This study was aimed at identifying the prevalence of HIV-positivity disclosure and the factors among 6-15-year-old children currently on HAART in Dessie, Ethiopia.

Methods: A facility based cross-sectional study design was performed in Dessie from January 21 to March 12, 2020 among 346 parents/caregivers with children living with HIV and currently on HAART. The data were collected using pre-tested, structured and self-administered questionnaires. The collected data were entered into Epi info v.7.1 and exported into SPSS version 23 for further analysis. Binary and multivariable logistic regression was employed and statistically significant factors were identified at 95% CI and at p-value <0.05.

Results: HIV positivity disclosure was found to be 29.2% (26.3-34.7%). Being widowed mothers/caregivers, 11-15-year-old children, child received support from NGOs and having a mother with a negative HIV test were found to be statistically significant factors for disclosure.

Conclusion: The overall HIV positivity disclosure to children living with HIV was found to be low in contrast to the WHO standard. In other ways, it was comparable with the Ethiopian figures. Health workers and managers need to focus on strengthening child support, make known the maternal/caregivers' HIV status, and child age specific effective interventions to improve disclosure of HIV positivity status for children living with HIV for better ART adherence and treatment outcomes.