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Toromo JJ, Apondi E, Nyandiko WM, Omollo M, Bakari S, Aluoch J, Kantor R, Fortenberry JD, Wools-Kaloustian K, Elul B, Vreeman RC, Enane LA. "I have never talked to anyone to free my mind" - challenges surrounding status disclosure to adolescents contribute to their disengagement from HIV care: a qualitative study in western Kenya. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1122. [PMID: 35658924 PMCID: PMC9167528 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13519-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV, ages 10–19) experience complex barriers to care engagement. Challenges surrounding HIV status disclosure or non-disclosure to adolescents may contribute to adolescent disengagement from HIV care or non-adherence to ART. We performed a qualitative study to investigate the contribution of disclosure challenges to adolescent disengagement from HIV care. Methods This was a qualitative study performed with disengaged ALHIV and their caregivers, and with healthcare workers (HCW) in the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) program in western Kenya. Inclusion criteria for ALHIV were ≥1 visit within the 18 months prior to data collection at one of two clinical sites and nonattendance ≥60 days following their last scheduled appointment. HCW were recruited from 10 clinics. Analysis was conducted by multiple independent coders, and narratives of disclosure and care disengagement were closely interrogated. Overarching themes were elucidated and summarized. Results Interviews were conducted with 42 disengaged ALHIV, 32 caregivers, and 28 HCW. ALHIV were average age 17.0 (range 12.9–20.9), and 95% indicated awareness of their HIV diagnosis. Issues surrounding disclosure to ALHIV presented important barriers to HIV care engagement. Themes centered on delays in HIV status disclosure; hesitancy and reluctance among caregivers to disclose; struggles for adolescents to cope with feelings of having been deceived prior to full disclosure; pervasive HIV stigma internalized in school and community settings prior to disclosure; and inadequate and unstructured support after disclosure, including for adolescent mental health burdens and for adolescent-caregiver relationships and communication. Both HCW and caregivers described feeling inadequately prepared to optimally handle disclosure and to manage challenges that may arise after disclosure. Conclusions Complex challenges surrounding HIV status disclosure to adolescents contribute to care disengagement. There is need to enhance training and resources for HCW, and to empower caregivers to support children and adolescents before, during, and after HIV status disclosure. This should include counseling caregivers on how to provide children with developmentally-appropriate and accurate information about their health from an early age, and to support adolescent-caregiver communication and relationships. Optimally integrating peer support can further promote ALHIV wellbeing and retention in care. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13519-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith J Toromo
- The Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, 705 Riley Hospital Drive, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Edith Apondi
- Academic Model Providing Access To Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya.,Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Winstone M Nyandiko
- Academic Model Providing Access To Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya.,Department of Child Health and Paediatrics, School of Medicine, Moi University College of Health Sciences, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Mark Omollo
- Academic Model Providing Access To Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Salim Bakari
- Academic Model Providing Access To Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Josephine Aluoch
- Academic Model Providing Access To Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Rami Kantor
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Brown University Apert Medical School, Providence, RI, USA
| | - J Dennis Fortenberry
- Section of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Kara Wools-Kaloustian
- Academic Model Providing Access To Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Batya Elul
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rachel C Vreeman
- Academic Model Providing Access To Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya.,Department of Child Health and Paediatrics, School of Medicine, Moi University College of Health Sciences, Eldoret, Kenya.,Department of Health System Design and Global Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Arnhold Institute for Global Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Leslie A Enane
- The Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, 705 Riley Hospital Drive, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA. .,Academic Model Providing Access To Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya.
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