Research Article Perceptions and Experiences about Self-Disclosure of HIV Status among Adolescents with Perinatal Acquired HIV in Poor-Resourced Communities in South Africa Sphiwe Madiba 1 and Mathildah Mokgatle 2 1 School of Public Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Heath, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa 2 School of Public Health, Department of Biostatistics, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa Correspondence should be addressed to Sphiwe Madiba; sphiwe madiba@embanet.com Received 31 May 2016; Accepted 11 August 2016 Academic Editor: David Katzenstein Copyright © 2016 S. Madiba and M. Mokgatle. Tis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Background. Tere is limited research on the disclosure experiences of adolescents with perinatal acquired HIV (PAH). Te study explores how adolescents with PAH experience living with HIV and examined their perceptions and experiences regarding disclosure and onward self-disclosure to friends and sexual partners. Methods. Tematic analysis was used to analyze in-depth interviews conducted with 37 adolescents. Findings. Adolescents received disclosure about their status at mean age of 12 years. Tey perceived disclosure as necessary and appreciated the truthful communication they received. Adolescents have learned to accept and live with HIV, and they desired to be healthy and normal like other people. Afer receiving disclosure, they found their treatment meaningful, and they adhered to medication. However, they also expressed a strong message that their HIV status was truly their secret and that self-disclosure to others will take the feeling of being normal away from them because they will be treated diferently. Conclusion. Adolescents maintained secrecy in order to be accepted by their peers but also to protect themselves from stigma and isolation. Given that adolescents want to be informed of their HIV status but desire controlling self-disclosure of their HIV status, these should form the basis for development of disclosure interventions. 1. Introduction Te increasing availability and provision of free antiretroviral treatment (ART) have resulted in a signifcant reduction in mortality of HIV-infected children, surviving through child- hood into adolescence in low income countries [1, 2]. Te increased survival of children and adolescents with perina- tally acquired HIV (PAH) has been accompanied by unique needs and specialized management [3]. Teir needs are more sensitive and varied than those of adults; they must simulta- neously deal with adult issues, such as disclosure, stigma, and practicing safe sex [4]. However, adolescents with PAH can deal with all of these issues only if they are informed about their HIV diagnosis. Yet, the World Health Organization (WHO) maintains that most of the estimated 2 million ado- lescents with PAH worldwide are unaware of their HIV status [5]. Te levels of disclosure of the HIV status to adolescents are low even though limited research shows that adolescents prefer to be informed about their HIV status [6–8]. While adolescents and children with PAH prefer to be informed about their HIV diagnosis, data from studies that examine self-disclosure by adolescents suggest that disclosure to sexual partners and friends remains low, particularly in developing countries [9–11]. Self-disclosure to sexual part- ners is considered an important process in preventing HIV transmission. It is for these reasons that the disclosure focus is shifing from caregivers’ disclosure to HIV-infected children to decisions concerning self-disclosure among adolescents with PAH. Te importance of self-disclosure increases as children with PAH progress into adolescence, and concerns regarding HIV transmission intensify [12]. Self-disclosure among adolescents with PAH increases condom negotia- tion and use, improves ART adherence, and reduces levels of unprotected sexual activities [13]. Toth and colleagues Hindawi Publishing Corporation AIDS Research and Treatment Volume 2016, Article ID 2607249, 10 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/2607249