| dc.description.abstract | Confidentiality in the HIV and AIDS field is a controversial issue.
Health care professionals are ethically and legally required to keep
all information about their patients and clients confidential. Any
information about the patient or client's illness or treatment can
only be divulged to another person with the patient's or client's
consent.
Although South Africans generally know about HIV and AIDS,
many do not perceive themselves to be at risk, and are not willing
to accept the link between high-risk behaviour and actual HIV
infection. The problem arises when the patient or client tests HIV
positive and refuses that his or her partner be informed, and at the
same time, there is no guarantee that safe sex will be practised,
instead, new people will be infected in the process, as some
indicate that "they will not die alone".
It is clear that not everyone infected with HIV takes all the
necessary steps to protect others or themselves.
The study investigates whether confidentiality facilitates HIV and
AIDS transmission or not.
The study used descriptive research design and quantitative
research method because of the complexity of the subject matter.
Data was collected by asking close-ended questions where
respondents could answer with regard to issues of confidentiality
and HIV and AIDS. The population for the study composed of both
male and female clients and patients in Voluntary Confidential
Counselling and Testing (VCCT) sites, in Greater Mafikeng Sub-district.
The sample of 200 was chosen from patients and clients
aged from fifteen years and above, at VCCT sites (100), including
the general practitioners consulting rooms (40) and home-based
care settings (60). Tables, graphs and percentages were used in
the analysis of data.
The study confirmed that, there is facilitation of HIV transmission
by maintaining confidentiality and not disclosing HIV status to
sexual partners and significant others. However, some HIV
positive respondents wanted to disclose their status but were
prohibited by fear of the reaction of significant others as well as
sexual partners, thus making them to continue with their sexual life
as if all is well.
Recommendations emerging from the study deal with aspects
which include among others, re-looking at the confidentiality clause
and extending to other categories of health professionals involved
with counselling patients and clients around HIV and AIDS, formal
authority to inform sexual partners of patients and clients about
their HIV positive status. | en_US |
