For many, this allows for a renewed interest in sexual and for some, drug-using activity. Finding out HIV status can also allow early access to life-prolonging treatment and services. Incorrect assumptions and denial of responsibility between partners can lead to risky behavior. Many HIV- persons are unaware of their partners' status or risk behaviors and may make assumptions that they are not at risk for HIV because they are married, in a relationship, their partner looks healthy, or simply because their partner did not ask to use a condom.
Disclosure can be a way of beginning a discussion about safer sex or drug use.
Practicing safer sex with all partners and always using clean needles is one way of preventing transmission without having to disclose status. HIV is a disease that is often mistakenly associated with careless sexual behavior. 10 Research has shown that people are often more comfortable disclosing and practicing safer sex with partners outside of their main relationship. Often, the same factors that led someone to become infected are also barriers to preventing transmission. Depression, substance use and abuse, history of violence and abuse and sexual compulsivity are all issues that may need to be addressed.