Paediatric HIV/AIDS disclosure : towards a developmental and process-oriented approach

Date
2007
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Abstract
As antiretroviral therapy becomes more widely available in low-resource settings and children with HIV/AIDS live for longer periods, disclosure of HIV diagnosis to infected children is becoming increasingly important. This article reviews the current literature on HIV-related disclosure in light of theories of cognitive development, and argues for the adoption of a process-oriented approach to discussing HIV with infected children. Disclosure presents unique challenges to healthcare workers and caregivers of children with HIV/AIDS that include controlling the flow of information about the child's HIV status to him/her and deciding on what is in his/her best interest. Health care workers' and caregivers' views regarding disclosure to children may often be contradictory, with healthcare workers likely to support disclosing the diagnosis of HIV/AIDS to children and caregivers more reluctant to discuss the disease with them. There is a clear need for practical interventions to support paediatric HIV disclosure which provide children with age-appropriate information about the disease. © 2007 Taylor & Francis.
Description
CITATION: Lesch, A., et al. 2007. Paediatric HIV/AIDS disclosure : towards a developmental and process-oriented approach. AIDS Care: Psychological and Socio-medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV, 19(6): 811-816, doi: 10.1080/09540120601129301.
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Keywords
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome, Africa, Age distribution, Anxiety, Caregiver, Cognition, Cognitive development, Coping behavior, Demography, Depression, Health care personnel, Human, Human immunodeficiency virus infection, Interpersonal communication, Primary medical care, Priority journal, Review, Socioeconomics, Stigma, Adolescent, Age factors, Child, Preschool, Health Personnel, HIV Infections, Truth Disclosure
Citation
Lesch, A., et al. 2007. Paediatric HIV/AIDS disclosure : towards a developmental and process-oriented approach. AIDS Care: Psychological and Socio-medical Aspects of AIDS/HIV, 19(6): 811-816, doi: 10.1080/09540120601129301