- Dr. Agatha revealed disclosure of HIV status to children is delicate but important
- She noted children living with HIV should know at 5
- The NIMR Director of Research revealed their support for parents during disclosure process
Eko Hot Blog reports that the disclosure of Human Immune Virus (HIV) status to children should remain a delicate but important step in managing the virus, with experts recommending age-appropriate disclosure starting as early as five years old.
Dr. David Agatha, Director of Research and Coordinator of the Child and Adolescent HIV Programme at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), explained that adolescence is a period of curiosity, and failure to provide proper guidance could create confusion and distrust in young people living with the virus.
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She noted that from the age of 5, children living with HIV should begin to understand why they are on medication, especially when their siblings are not. Some parents, she observed, have been innovative by ensuring all their children take medicine at the same time, with some on multivitamins and others on antiretroviral therapy, to reduce stigma.
According to the Director, the disclosure process should be gradual and age-appropriate. “At 5, you tell the child, you and your brethen are the same, but your cells need to become strong. You know those soldiers in the body that fight infections, these drugs are helping to equip the soldiers to make them strong to fight. And then as they get older, you begin to explain further, we believe certainly that by 12, every child should know they are living with HIV,” she stated.
Dr. Agatha acknowledged that many parents, particularly mothers who transmitted the virus to their children, struggle with disclosure.
However, she revealed that NIMR supports parents in the process and often discloses to children alongside them, stressing that no negative outcomes have been recorded from such interventions.
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