Volume 6 • Issue 1 • 1000414 Open Access Research Article J AIDS Clin Res ISSN: 2155-6113 JAR an open access journal Fekadu et al., J AIDS Clin Res 2014, 6:1 DOI: 10.4172/2155-6113.1000414 Sero Status Disclosure and Condom use among Plwhas on Art in Assela Town Health Facilities, Oromiya Region Hailu Fekadu 1 *, Mesfn Addisie 2 and Habtamu Mellie 3 1 Department of Public Health, Adama University, Asela, Ethiopia 2 School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa Ethiopia 3 Department of Public Health, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia *Corresponding author: Hailu Fekadu, Department of Public Health, Adama University, Asela, Ethiopia, Tel: +251-911-71-76-08; E-mail: hailufekadu18@yahoo.com Received November 16, 2014; Accepted December 28, 2014; Published January 05, 2014 Citation: Fekadu H, Addisie M, Mellie H (2014) Sero Status Disclosure and Condom use among Plwhas on Art in Assela Town Health Facilities, Oromiya Region. J AIDS Clin Res 6: 414. doi:10.4172/2155-6113.1000414 Copyright: © 2014 Fekadu H, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Keywords: Sero status disclosure; Sexual behavior; Condom use; PLWHA on ART Background It has been three decades since HIV started its spread across the globe with a devastating impact on populations and economies of countries and regions, some more than others. UNAIDS estimates that there were 34 million people living with HIV at the end of 2011 [1]. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear an inordinate share of the global HIV burden [2]. Ethiopia is one of the sub-Saharan countries worst afected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. According to the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia report published in 2011, approximately 1.1 million people were living with HIV, In the same year, the national adult HIV prevalence was estimated to be 1.5% and a total of 34,936 people were newly infected with HIV, of whom 24,967 (71%) were adults [3,4]. In the study area the number of PLWHAs on follow up during the study period were 8,376 among these 2,767 of them were taking ART from Assela town health facilities. Disclosing HIV sero-status has paramount signifcances like to have safe sexual intercourse using condom, for caring/supporting of PLWHA in taking medication or nutritional modifcations as needed. Despite its importance, only (58.2% and 97%) PLWHA in Barbados and Nigeria were disclosing their results [5,6]. In diferent parts of Ethiopia like kemisie, Jimma university hospital and Hawasa University referral Hospital, the respective disclosure status were 94.5%, 90.8% and 85.7% respectively [7-9] With regarding condom use, about little over half of, North Shewa Zone (62%) and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (63.1%) PLWHA were reporting as using condom consistently [10,11]. Even though PLWHAs are given knowledge about safer sexual behavior during the ART (Anti-Retroviral Terapy) clinic sessions, there is growing evidence suggests that people on ART are increasingly becoming sexually active and many of them are involved in sexual activity with partners who are HIV negative. Moreover failure to disclose HIV positive status could lead to unsafe sexual practice, which in-turn increases risk of infecting sexual partner, couples re-infection with new strains and HIV transmission to the child. Tus, the aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of HIV status disclosure and condom use, and its associated factors among HIV positive ART attendants in Assela town health institution, Oromiya region. Te result of the study would use for policy makers and other organizations working on HIV/ Abstract Background: HIV Status disclosure and sexual behavior of PLWHAS is vital for HIV prevention efforts and the couple’s health in the context of accelerated highly active antiretroviral therapy. Therefore it is essential to see sero- status disclosure and sexual behavior of PLWHAs who are taking ART as this has implication for prevention of HIV epidemic. Objective: To assess sero status disclosure and condom use among PLWHAs who are on ART in Assela town health facilities, Arsi Zone, Oromiya Region. Methodology: institution based cross sectional study was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methods from February to April 2013 among 324 PLWHAs who are taking ART from Assela town health institutions. Structured and pretested questionnaire was used for data collection of qualitative part and semi-structured questionnaire was used for qualitative part. Result: More than half of the participants 167 (51.5%) were females. The majority 264 (81.5%) were married. Over all 94.1% of the respondents had disclosed their HIV positive result to their regular partner. Knowledge of partners’ sero status, prior discussion about HIV, type of relationship with partner, living in the same home and duration of HIV test were determinants of sero status disclosure. The proportion of consistent condom use in this study was (60.8%) and the main reason reported for not using condom were partner’s refusal (37.4%). Prior discussion about HIV test, duration since ART started, history of condom use and sex of respondent were found to be determinants of consistent condom use. Conclusion: Although the magnitude of HIV positive status disclosure to regular partner found in this study was encouraging, lack of disclosure by a minority resulted in a limited ability to engage in preventive behaviors. Therefore HIV prevention programs and organizations working on HIV should further enhance disclosure and condom use using different mechanisms like mass health education and face to face counseling. J o u r n a l o f A I D S & C li n i c a l R e s e a r c h ISSN: 2155-6113 Journal of AIDS & Clinical Research