CHAPTER FOUR FINDINGS
4.4 Methods of disclosure within prison
The participant's had experienced disclosure within prison as both intentional and unintentional. Participants either had a choice in their decision to disclose or had encountered situations where their HIV status was compromised.
4.4.1 Intentional disclosure within prison
Participants had verbally and directly disclosed their HIV status to prison wardens, prisoners, and other offenders who were part of their support group.
P1: I can never get that I am HIV positive I just tell my guards I say no I am HIV positive.
P2: It was some of my collegues that we were we had undergone the training. When the
Ugandans came into prison those people that we had undergone the training it was a training on training where we had to train other offenders on HIV/AIDS. Those are the people that I first disclosed my status to…
P3: I told the people that were together in the support group. I told them that I am HIV positive and wardens. There were also guys that I was staying with inside the cell that I told.
The verbal and direct means of disclosure show again, how the availability of social support can enable the process of disclosure. Moreover, the complex nature of HIV disclosure shows how participants were able to disclose to other prison wardens although power and authority was asserted.
4.4.2 Unintended means of disclosure in prison
The structure of the prison environment compromised the participants HIV status largely due to the way in which the prison authorities had managed the ARV treatment, referred participants to social workers, and managed meals for the participant.
Access to treatment and care
Participants argued that other offenders became aware of their HIV status during cell inspections and by an alarm clock that was used to remind them to take their ARV's. In addition to this, participants also stated that they were moved to another cell block which was solely for offenders that are on ARV treatments.
P1: sometimes there is this thing called the strip search where authorities will come to your section…and then they will turn everything upside down when you come back into there will be medicine that will be thrown all over and then prisoners will say How what's this tablets what's
these pills [ARV’S] and they are all over spitted all over tramped upon some are crushed
P2: And some of the prisoners will be Why you got this clock and automatically your status is disclosed. Everyday you have to take the treatment at 6 'o' clock and everyday it will ring at 6 'o' clock and then 60 of you in one cell the cell is very small and then they would ask what is this then you will see that they are running for their treatment.
P3: once you get to Medium 101 treatment [ARV'S] is only rolled out in Medium 100 and then now when this offenders date comes nearby for him to go for ARV treatment once the authorities in Medium 101 finds out that he is on treatment they will say NO, NO, NO go back go back, go back to Medium 100…So, it is an unconsented disclosure because now they will get to know...
Access to social workers & nutritional diet
Participants also complained that the prison wardens had forced them to disclose their HIV status as it was the only way that they could access the social workers. Furthermore, each offender had to take a specific diet if they were HIV positive. Consequently, participant's had to keep a pink ticket that not only represented their diet, but also that they are HIV positive.
P1: So the prison warden has to write down why you want to see the social worker so when you get to the social worker the social worker is aware that's where the problem starts because now you have to disclose to the prison warden and the prison warden not aware that you came through and it has happened alot of times, several times where you tell them the warden that you are HIV because of the HIV, he will start telling all the other prisoners about your status
P2: when you go there they will say hey milk and peanuts must come this side the other offenders will stay this side and then for TB they take them for 6 months after 6 months you are discharged and then for HIV it is one way and for others who were once with you in TB they ask you why are you not getting discharged. It's two years and you still taking peanuts that is where you have automatically disclosed. There are alot of these things, we have to deal with these things while we are still in prison.
Within prison, the poor management and lack of accommodation for HIV positive offenders highlights the ways in which these offenders HIV status was compromised.
The implications of this are that the prison system focuses more on rehabilitation rather
than the reality of HIV/AIDS.