. 2020 Dec 2;12:821–837. doi: 10.2147/HIV.S277461

Table 5.

Strategy Towards Developing Disclosure and Counselling Guideline for PMTCT in Addis Ababa Governmental Hospitals, Ethiopia, 2018

Strategy	Rationale and Operationalisation
Mutual disclosure of HIV status for couples	When sexual partners or couples conduct their HIV testing mutually and know their HIV status together, this is considered as couple counselling and disclosure. This kind of service had many advantages for the couples. It can help to settle and have follow-up by ART clinic, link to their local or nearest health institution for the sustainable follow-up service and it is also important to use these couples as model counsellors and educators in the community regarding the importance of couple counselling and testing together. This couple testing together is also important to each sexual partner to understand the HIV status of their partner easily, and it makes disclosure simpler and more appropriate because the disclosure is immediately after the test, resulting in less tension for the health professional who provides the service.
Disclosure of their own HIV status for children The best way for a child to learn about their HIV status is through age-appropriate information shared by a loving, trusted and responsible caretaker	Disclosure to children should never happen informally, unintentionally during anger or conflict. A child’s maturity and cognitive capacity varies and is not only dependent on age. It is important to discuss HIV status while considering the child’s intellectual level and the child’s individual situation. Assessments of family readiness for disclosure and potential barriers to disclose are important. The benefits of disclosure on both short- and long-term consequences on the family and child should be considered. Children aged more than 12 years should know their HIV status.

Strategy

Rationale and Operationalisation

Mutual disclosure of HIV status for couples

When sexual partners or couples conduct their HIV testing mutually and know their HIV status together, this is considered as couple counselling and disclosure. This kind of service had many advantages for the couples. It can help to settle and have follow-up by ART clinic, link to their local or nearest health institution for the sustainable follow-up service and it is also important to use these couples as model counsellors and educators in the community regarding the importance of couple counselling and testing together.
This couple testing together is also important to each sexual partner to understand the HIV status of their partner easily, and it makes disclosure simpler and more appropriate because the disclosure is immediately after the test, resulting in less tension for the health professional who provides the service.

Disclosure of their own HIV status for
children
The best way for a child to learn about their HIV status is through age-appropriate information shared by a loving, trusted and responsible caretaker

Disclosure to children should never happen informally, unintentionally during anger or conflict.
A child’s maturity and cognitive capacity varies and is not only dependent on age.
It is important to discuss HIV status while considering the child’s intellectual level and the child’s individual situation.
Assessments of family readiness for disclosure and potential barriers to disclose are important.
The benefits of disclosure on both short- and long-term consequences on the family and child should be considered.
Children aged more than 12 years should know their HIV status.