title: Reasons for and against maternal HIV disclosure to children and perceived child reaction.
abstract: This study explores the decision making of 66 HIV-positive women regarding disclosing their serostatus to their children and the child's perceived immediate and long-term reactions. Data came from a larger investigation of the disclosure process of HIV-infected women. Children included 27 boys and 39 girls between the ages 5 and 18 years. Forty-one children knew of their mother's diagnosis and 32 were disclosed to by their mother. Results suggest that women are interested in taking a leading role in disclosing to their children and make the decision based on the child's ability to handle the information and not be psychologically harmed.
authors.affiliation: Ohio State University, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: R Ostrom
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Delaney
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Serovich
authors.forename: J-Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003657:Decision Making; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000523:psychology*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D012650:Self Disclosure