Confidentiality and disclosure of HIV infection: HIV-positive persons' experience with HIV testing and coping with HIV infection in Latvia.

2000

The objective of the study was to explore retrospectively HIV-infected individuals experience with HIV testing counseling and the issue of confidentiality in the Latvian context. A qualitative study using grounded theory approach and based on semi-structured in-depth interviews was implemented. 13 HIV-positive individuals above 18 were selected using purposeful sampling from the 63 HIV-positive individuals registered in Latvia between 1987 and 1997. HIV-infected people are worried that doctors sometimes disrespect confidentiality. Confidentiality was found to be a basic prerequisite for building trusting relationships between an HIV-infected individual and a doctor within the counseling pro…