Abstract
The purpose of this article was to describe patterns of disclosure among adults after their sibling's death from AIDS. A descriptive study design was done by use of a cross-sectional sample including 87 adults from separate families. Sibling responses were audiotaped and content analyzed. Six categories of disclosure emerged from the data: Purposeful, "If Asked I Tell," Selective, Protective, Restricted, and Avoidant. Categories differed across three dimensions: usual method of telling, goal of method, and underlying belief about public disclosures. It was found that siblings disclose variably after their brother's or sister's death from AIDS. In bereavement contexts characterized by stigma, bereaved siblings consider many potential consequences before choosing how they will tell others their brother or sister died from AIDS.