[e-drug] When do we tell children their HIV positive status?

e-drug
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E-DRUG: When do we tell children their HIV positive status?
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I have read with interest in IRIN chat forum on the policy being discussed
in Uganda to consider informing children who are HIV positive about their
status at the age of 10 yrs. Of course parents/guardians etc would be informed
prior to disclosure. But an issue that raised my interest was that there is
no such policy as to when should children be informed about their HIV
status. I am wondering if any country/organisation has an official policy to
that effect.

Alternatively how do children behave when they are first
informed of their status and how do health care providers and/or parents
maintain adherance to ARVs in the children?

Qasim Al Riyami
Asst Dean for Training
College of Pharmacy & Nursing
University of Nizwa
P.O.Box 33 PC 616
Birket Al Mouz, NIzwa
Oman
tel;(O): + 968 2544 6230
fax, (O) + 968 2544 6246
email: karafuu@gmail.com & qasim@unizwa.edu.om

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E-DRUG: When do we tell children their HIV positive status? (2)
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Hi Colleagues,

Whether or not there are such policies somewhere, my thinking is that you
can't tell exactly when the child will start getting brain to understand
what is HIV and AIDS and the real meaning of being HIV positive. The
understanding capability from one child to another may differ even at the
same age.

It is better from my own point of view to let HIV positive children know
of their status through care and treatment processes.
For example, let us wait until a child asks, "Why am I attending this
particular clinic every month?" or "Why do you want me to take this medicine
every day?", etc... From there, a counselor or caregiver can move forward to
educate the child. If a child remains quiet during care and treatment
processes, then it would be better we remain quiet as well; provided
adherence to ARV is maximum

Frank Komakoma
Pharmacist
Tanzania
+255 612 999400
Frank Komakoma <fkomakoma@gmail.com>

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E-DRUG: When do we tell children their HIV positive status? (3)
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It is a contentious issue. Can there be such a policy? The readiness and
maturity of the child to receive this information, apart from his/her
ability to understand the implications of an HIV positive status, is an
individual decision. In resource limited settings, children are often
treated in the same patient areas as adults are, and realize sometimes as
soon as they are able to read that they are in an HIV clinic. HIV is openly
discussed by adults waiting in line for treatment.....and the child becomes
inadvertently aware of his status before being counselled or prepared for
the news.....the dangers of waiting too long.....

--
Razeeya Khan
Project Manager:Mother and Child Health Unit,
Limpopo
mobile: +0027837866900
fax:086 620 2667
e-mail: razeeyak@gmail.com