Disclosure of the HIV infection status in children.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the perception of caregivers about the disclosure of the diagnosis of HIV infection in children.


METHODS
Caregivers of fifty HIV-infected children were enrolled in the study after taking written informed consent. They were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included information on the demographic details, questions about the disclosure status of HIV infection in children and perceptions about the disclosure of status to child.


RESULTS
Only 7 out of the 50 children (14%) were aware of their HIV status while 43/50 (86%) were unaware; as reported by their guardians/ parents. Only 6 percent children (3/50) were given factual information about the disease while 68% (34/50) were given no information. Majority of caregivers felt mid-teenage as the appropriate age for disclosing the HIV infection status and that the parents were the appropriate persons to reveal the infection status (21/50, 42%).


CONCLUSIONS
There is need to develop and implement guidelines for disclosure of HIV infection status to HIV-infected children in resource limited settings.
Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India.
Sasi
S
Arun
Ajay K
AK
Singh
Rakesh
R
Lodha
S K
SK
Kabra
D000293:Adolescent; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014342:Truth Disclosure