FYI

Taken from Erin's blog. She knows, this applies to 2 of her children.

While the term "HIV+ child" usually makes people imagine a child that is very sickly, the reality is that most children who are HIV+ and are receiving the anti-retro viral medications (or do not yet need them), look just like any other child and live in good overall health.
Parenting a child that is HIV+ is not much different than parenting a child that is not HIV+. Most children who are HIV+ and are on medication (or do not yet need them) do not require much special treatment or medical care. When HIV+ children are on their medications they generally enjoy very good health and do not need to be isolated from other children or be treated differently.
There are three things that parents must do differently with HIV+ children than they would with their other children. Those things are:
- Handle blood with care.
- Give their child medications.
- Take their child for frequent doctor appointments and blood tests.
Handle blood with care - It has been shown that HIV is not spread through casual contact, and that it is only spread through sexual contact, birth, breast milk and blood to blood contact (such as sharing needles). Children who are HIV+ can share food, drink, bath tubs, swimming pools, towels, beds, toys and all other household items with their family members and friends without risk. Parents do not need to worry about HIV beings transmitted through urine, stool, tears or sweat.
The one area that parents need to use caution is when handling blood. When a child that is HIV+ has an injury that is bleeding, it is usually recommended that the parent or caregiver wears rubber gloves while treating and covering the injury. Any surfaces that get blood on them should be treated with bleach. Paper products such as paper towels, tissues, etc. used to clean up a blood spill should be double-bagged and thrown away. Any clothing that gets a significant amount of blood on it should be washed separately or thrown away. Cuts, scrapes and open sores should be covered.
Since mouths often bleed easily, tooth brushes should not be shared, nor should razor blades for obvious reasons.
While it is recommended and wise to handle the blood of an HIV+ child with care, it is also helpful to know that HIV is a very fragile virus outside of the body and the risk of transmitting HIV through a bloody nose or skinned knee is extremely miniscule. This is especially true for a child that is on HIV medications, because the medications can reduce the amount of HIV in a person's system to the point that the HIV is considered "undetectable", meaning there is only a very tiny amount of virus in the person's system.
It is very simple for parents of HIV+ children to prepare a small first aid kit in a Ziplock bag that contains a pair of rubber gloves, band aids, paper towels, gauze, tape, ointment, a second sealable bag for garbage and a few Clorox wipes. These small and light weight first aid kits can be kept in a purse, glove box and bathroom cabinet so they are ready in case of an injury at home or on the road.
Giving Medications - The only other aspect of daily life that is regularly affected by a child being HIV+ is the fact that they need to be given their medications every day at the scheduled times once they have been started on their meds. While many adopted HIV+ children come home and start their medications right away, some families are finding that the doctors are waiting to start treatment because the child is living in good health without the medications.
Once a child is started on HIV medications, it is very important that they are given as directed. Most pediatric regiments require two medications being given in the morning and three medications being given in the evening, with a 12-hour space in between. Giving the medications at the scheduled times and giving them every day without regularly missing doses is essential so that the medications work as well as possible and so that the HIV does not become resistant to the medications. There are many simple strategies such as wearing a watch with two different alarms, that parents can use to ensure that their child's medications are given on time.
Medications are available in liquid and pill forms and most children get into a routine of taking them without any problems. Many of the medications do not need to be refrigerated. Giving your child his or her HIV medications takes just a few moments in the morning and then again in the evening. Children tend to do very well on the medications and experience fewer side effects than adults. Normally if a child does experience side effects, they only last for the first two or three weeks that the child is on the medications and then they disappear.
Doctor appointments - Children who are HIV+ typically see a Pediatric Infectious Disease doctor or another similar specialist four times a year. At these appointments the child is checked for physical symptoms, growth, development, etc. and the family is asked about any illnesses, symptoms, side effects or problems. The children also have blood work done in conjunction with these appointments to have their CD4 count, CD4 percentage, viral load and other counts checked. These tests show how well the HIV is being controlled and alert doctors of any complications, when a change in medication is needed or when it is time to start medications.
Sometimes when a child has been on medications for a period of time and doing well consistently, doctor appointments can be scaled back to two or three times a year instead of four.
Disclosure - One of the biggest areas of consideration for parents of HIV+ children is disclosure. It has been said by many parents that often the social aspect of dealing with a child's HIV status are more challenging than dealing with the medical aspects. Unfortunately even in this country there is still significant stigma against people who are HIV+. Many people are uneducated about HIV and still believe in falsehoods such as HIV being a death sentence and that HIV+ people are a threat to those around them. Many people do not fully understand how HIV is and is not transmitted and therefore are still needlessly very afraid of HIV.
Because of the stigma that still exists against HIV+ people and because parents do not want their children to be discriminated against in school, sports, day care, etc., parents need to put a lot of thought into who they do and do not tell about their child's HIV status. Every state has laws protecting the privacy of people with HIV, and very few people in a child's life really need to know.
That being said, many parents have also found that by being open and honest about their child's HIV status, they have been able to educate many people in their child's life and do not have to live in fear of people finding out that their child is HIV+.
There is no one right or wrong way to deal with the issues related to disclosure. They are something that every family must evaluate based on their unique circumstances. Online parent support groups and local AIDS support groups are often helpful sources of information about how other families have dealt with disclosure in their own extended families, with friends and in the community.