Management of conflicts arising from disclosure of HIV status among married women in Southwest Nigeria

Disclosure of HIV status to spouse remains one of the greatest challenges to individuals newly diagnosed with HIV infection in Nigeria. In this study, we examined if disclosure by married women living with HIV/AIDS to their spouses resulted in conflicts. The study was carried out among married women attending a support group in a Maternity Hospital located in Ibadan, Nigeria, in collaboration with a religious-based organization that provides funding for HIV/AIDS programs. Pearson's chi-square test of independence was used to assess the associations of selected HIV related attitudes and indicators of conflicts arising from HIV status disclosure. Fifty-seven women completed questionnaire on conflict indicators. Only 47.4% learned of their current HIV status during an antenatal visit to health center, 18 (31.6%) discovered through a Voluntary Counseling Test (VCT), while 12 (21.1%) found out on a visit to a hospital during an ailment. Ninety- three percentage of the respondents reported disclosing their status within six months of diagnosis, while 7% disclosed after six months of diagnosis. Only 70.7% engaged in direct disclosure to their spouse, while12.3% did so through a third party. About thirty-seven percent confirmed that disclosing their status led to conflicts. Although 19.3% had their conflicts resolved through a third party, 10% suffered separation, 7.5% resolved it through joint problem solving. Marital status and fear of stigma significantly influenced time of disclosure (P<0.01 and P<0.05), while type of marriage strongly influence whether status will be disclosed (P<0.01). Programs for HIV women should consider conflicts that may arise from disclosure.