Disclosure of stigmatizing conditions: the discloser's perspective.

Stigmatizing conditions such as family violence, AIDS, and herpes contribute to feelings of shame and the wish to conceal or hide. However, those who experience such conditions often need to confide in others and seek help from professionals. This grounded theory study describes the process of disclosure from the perspective of the one with a stigmatizing condition and from the theory that nurses can develop intervention strategies to facilitate disclosure.