Disclosure of their HIV status to perinatally infected youth using the adapted Blasini disclosure model in Haiti and the Dominican Republic: Preliminary results
Article
Beck-Sague, CM, Dévieux, J, Pinzón-Iregui, MC et al. (2015). Disclosure of their HIV status to perinatally infected youth using the adapted Blasini disclosure model in Haiti and the Dominican Republic: Preliminary results
. AIDS, 29 S91-S98. 10.1097/QAD.0000000000000665
Beck-Sague, CM, Dévieux, J, Pinzón-Iregui, MC et al. (2015). Disclosure of their HIV status to perinatally infected youth using the adapted Blasini disclosure model in Haiti and the Dominican Republic: Preliminary results
. AIDS, 29 S91-S98. 10.1097/QAD.0000000000000665
Objectives: To assess the safety, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a culturallyadapted disclosure intervention for perinatally HIV-infected combined antiretroviral therapy patients in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Design: A quasi-experimental trial was conducted comparing caregiver-youth pairs who completed the intervention [adapted Blasini disclosure model (aBDM)] to pairs who discontinued aBDM participation before disclosure. aBDM consists of five components: structured healthcare worker training; one-on one pre-disclosure intervention/ education sessions for youth (describing pediatric chronic diseases including cancer, diabetes and HIV) and for caregivers (strengthening capacity for disclosure); a scheduled supportive disclosure session; and one-on-one postdisclosure support for caregivers and youth. Methods: Caregivers of nondisclosed combined antiretroviral therapy patients aged 10.0-17.8 years were invited to participate. Data were collected by separate one-on-one face-To-face interviews of caregivers and youth by study staff and medical record review by pediatricians at enrollment and 3 months after disclosure or after intervention discontinuation. Results: To date, 65 Dominican Republic and 27 Haiti caregiver-youth pairs have enrolled. At enrollment, only 46.4% of youth had viral suppression and 43.4% of caregivers had clinically significant depressive symptomatology. To date, two serious study-related adverse events have occurred. Seven of the 92 (7.6%, 6 in the Dominican Republic) enrolled pairs discontinued participation before disclosure and 39 had completed postdisclosure participation. Median plasma HIV-RNA concentration was lower in youth who completed aBDM than in youth who discontinued participation before aBDM disclosure (<40 versus 8673 copies/ml; P=0.027). Completers expressed considerable satisfaction with aBDM. Conclusion: Preliminary results suggest safety, acceptability, and possible effectiveness of the aBDM.
