Factors affecting caregivers’ disclosure of HIV-seropositive status to their children: a case of Parirenyatwa Centre of Excellence, Zimbabwe

Introduction: About 5% of the 38 million people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/ acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) worldwide are children aged less than 15 years.A significant proportion of caregivers living with HIV-seropositive children still fail to disclose their children's status to them due to a multiplicity of factors, leading to a high prevalence of preventable mortality among preteens and adolescents.Disclosure to HIV-seropositive children is critical in enhancing their standard of life.Material and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed in this study.Data collection was carried out using structured interviews in May 2021 among 100 participants at Parirenyatwa Centre of Excellence.Statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 22.0 was used for data analysis.Results: The study revealed that only 20 (20%) participants had disclosed the HIV-seropositive status to their children.Disclosure status was significantly associated with the relationship with child (p = 0.043), number of children taken care of (p = 0.041), child's age (p = 0.012), fear of child's response (p = 0.021), child enquiring on status (p = 0.011), and fear of psychological harm to the child (p = 0.041).Conclusions: This study concludes that early HIV disclosure is critical in promoting adherence to treatment, while caregivers need to be empowered to disclose early.There is a need to formulate evidence-based guidelines and standardized operational modalities to support the disclosure of HIVseropositive status to children.Collaborative management is significantly required in helping caregivers in the disclosure process.