Disclosure of diagnosis by parents and caregivers to children infected with HIV in Hawassa, southern Ethiopia: a multicentre, cross-sectional study

In recent years, the life expectancy of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children has increased with the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy (ART). Regardless of the clinical recommendations encouraging HIV status disclosure, the practice of caregiver disclosure is frequently challenging due to many constraints associated with caregivers and healthcare personnel. As studies suggest, disclosure of the HIV-positive status of children is low, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where the majority of infected children reside. Thus the primary objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of HIV-positive status disclosure to infected children and the pertinent factors associated with caregivers of these children. Moreover, unlike previous studies conducted in Ethiopia, this study included children residing in orphanages.