Social Support for Improved ART Adherence and Retention in Care among Older People Living with HIV in Urban South Africa: A Complex Balance between Disclosure and Stigma
| dc.contributor.author | Knight, Lucia | |
| dc.contributor.author | Schatz, Enid | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-09-18T10:30:02Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-09-18T10:30:02Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2022-09-12 | |
| dc.date.updated | 2022-09-22T12:02:34Z | |
| dc.description.abstract | The number of older people living with HIV (OPLWH) (aged 50-plus) in South Africa is increasing as people age with HIV or are newly infected. OPLWH are potentially vulnerable because of the intersection of age-related and HIV stigmas, co-morbidities, and lack of social support. Evidence from younger populations suggests that social support can improve ART adherence and retention in care. Further, HIV status disclosure plays a role in mediating social support and may reduce stigma by facilitating access to social support. This paper draws on qualitative research with OPLWH to explore the complex associations between disclosure, social support, and HIV stigma among OPLWH in urban Western Cape. The findings demonstrate that OPLWH receive most of their support from their family and this support can facilitate adherence to ART and retention in care. However, social support is facilitated by participants’ disclosure, thus, when perceived stigma limits disclosure, social support is less accessible. Gender, age, and pre-existing vulnerability also affect disclosure to and support from kin and community. Given that social support, particularly from family members, amplifies HIV care access and ART adherence, encouraging disclosure stimulating household HIV competency is likely to both address anticipated stigma and support improved OPLWH’s health outcomes. | |
| dc.identifier | doi: 10.3390/ijerph191811473 | |
| dc.identifier.apacitation | Knight, L., & Schatz, E. (2022). Social Support for Improved ART Adherence and Retention in Care among Older People Living with HIV in Urban South Africa: A Complex Balance between Disclosure and Stigma. <i>International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health</i>, 19(18), http://hdl.handle.net/11427/38723 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.chicagocitation | Knight, Lucia, and Enid Schatz "Social Support for Improved ART Adherence and Retention in Care among Older People Living with HIV in Urban South Africa: A Complex Balance between Disclosure and Stigma." <i>International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health</i> 19, 18. (2022) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/38723 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.citation | Knight, L. & Schatz, E. 2022. Social Support for Improved ART Adherence and Retention in Care among Older People Living with HIV in Urban South Africa: A Complex Balance between Disclosure and Stigma. <i>International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.</i> 19(18) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/38723 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.ris | TY - Journal Article AU - Knight, Lucia AU - Schatz, Enid AB - The number of older people living with HIV (OPLWH) (aged 50-plus) in South Africa is increasing as people age with HIV or are newly infected. OPLWH are potentially vulnerable because of the intersection of age-related and HIV stigmas, co-morbidities, and lack of social support. Evidence from younger populations suggests that social support can improve ART adherence and retention in care. Further, HIV status disclosure plays a role in mediating social support and may reduce stigma by facilitating access to social support. This paper draws on qualitative research with OPLWH to explore the complex associations between disclosure, social support, and HIV stigma among OPLWH in urban Western Cape. The findings demonstrate that OPLWH receive most of their support from their family and this support can facilitate adherence to ART and retention in care. However, social support is facilitated by participants’ disclosure, thus, when perceived stigma limits disclosure, social support is less accessible. Gender, age, and pre-existing vulnerability also affect disclosure to and support from kin and community. Given that social support, particularly from family members, amplifies HIV care access and ART adherence, encouraging disclosure stimulating household HIV competency is likely to both address anticipated stigma and support improved OPLWH’s health outcomes. DA - 2022-09-12 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PY - 2022 T1 - Social Support for Improved ART Adherence and Retention in Care among Older People Living with HIV in Urban South Africa: A Complex Balance between Disclosure and Stigma TI - Social Support for Improved ART Adherence and Retention in Care among Older People Living with HIV in Urban South Africa: A Complex Balance between Disclosure and Stigma UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/38723 ER - | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/38723 | |
| dc.identifier.vancouvercitation | Knight L, Schatz E. Social Support for Improved ART Adherence and Retention in Care among Older People Living with HIV in Urban South Africa: A Complex Balance between Disclosure and Stigma. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022;19(18) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/38723. | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute | |
| dc.publisher.department | Social and Behavioural Sciences | |
| dc.publisher.faculty | Health Sciences | |
| dc.source | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health | |
| dc.source.journalissue | 18 | |
| dc.source.journalissue | 11473 | |
| dc.source.journalvolume | 19 | |
| dc.source.uri | https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph | |
| dc.title | Social Support for Improved ART Adherence and Retention in Care among Older People Living with HIV in Urban South Africa: A Complex Balance between Disclosure and Stigma | |
| dc.type | Journal Article |