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A Systematic Review of HIV Serostatus Disclosure Among African Immigrants in Europe

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Abstract

As the human immunodeficiency virus continues to devastate large parts of Africa, particularly the Sub-Saharan region, the number of immigrants migrating from these areas to European nations continues to grow. African men and women leave their countries for Europe because of armed conflicts, unemployment, or poverty. Thus, these migration patterns combined with newly contracted infections have resulted in a large and growing number of HIV-positive diagnoses among African immigrants living in Europe. Using the disclosure process model, this systematic review examines the reasons for HIV status disclosure and nondisclosure among African immigrants residing in Europe. PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Global Health, and Web of Science were searched. Bibliographies of retrieved studies were also reviewed for other relevant citations. Studies were eligible if they: (1) focused on HIV-positive immigrants from SSA residing in Europe; and (2) described or measured HIV status disclosure. Out of 166 articles found, a total of 17 articles and 1 brief report met the inclusion criteria. Factors such as stigma and social implications of disclosure contribute to avoidance goals leading to nondisclosure while approach goals or disclosure reasons were found to include health status and behaviors such as seeking support, and helping others. The findings highlight the importance of understanding the avoidance and approach goals involved in HIV status disclosure among African immigrants in Europe. Interventions and future research directed at increasing HIV disclosure among African immigrants in Europe should move beyond individual-level to consider multilevel factors including country-specific social behaviors.

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Fig. 1

Adapted with permission: Chaudoir et al. [28]

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Africana Studies, University of Cincinnati, 3605 French Hall West, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA

    Guy-Lucien Whembolua

  2. Department of Health Promotion Education and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greence St., Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    Donaldson F. Conserve

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Kirstyn Thomas

  4. Health Sciences Library, University of North Carolina, 335 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7585, USA

    Lara Handler

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  1. Guy-Lucien Whembolua
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  2. Donaldson F. Conserve
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  4. Lara Handler
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Correspondence to Guy-Lucien Whembolua.

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Whembolua, GL., Conserve, D.F., Thomas, K. et al. A Systematic Review of HIV Serostatus Disclosure Among African Immigrants in Europe. J Immigrant Minority Health 19, 947–958 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-016-0456-5

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