‘Let kids know their status’

as well.”
These were the words of Mrs Tafadzwa Soda, an HIV and Aids counsellor with New Life in Bindura.
She was speaking about the need to inform children of their HIV status early.
Mrs Soda said there were incidents of children contemplating suicide after learning of their positive status late in life.
“There is no right age because children mature differently. It should be the prerogative of a parent to assess whether the child is mature to handle his results,” she said.
She said most children start reasoning sensibly around 16 years of age.
A teacher, Ms Blessing Mangezvo who works with orphans and other vulnerable children from all age groups  in Nyava village in Bindura, says children should be told of their status from as young as five years.
“A child should be told of his or her HIV status as soon as they start understanding death. If you do not tell him around that age, caregivers will have problems explaining HIV-related deaths in the family including that of their parents and why they are always sick.”
Ms Mangezvo said in some cases children should be told of their status as soon as they test positive.
“Children should know their status as soon as possible so that they understand their condition and why they take drugs when others are not taking the same drugs,” she said.
Mrs Lydia Mahonya, a co-ordinator at Nyava Community Youth Centre, believes telling children their HIV status should not be a one-day event.
“It must be a process which starts from a tender age. This process starts with counselling on different aspects of HIV be it death in a family, opportunistic infections and their own medication,” she said.
“Through these counselling sessions, a parent or caregiver can assess from the children’s understanding of issues if they are ready to know their status.”
According to Seke Rural Hospice, which looks after 561 children living with HIV and Aids, most children start to understand the process of disclosure at around nine years.
The organisation’s director, Mrs Veronica Ngwerume, said of the 561 HIV positive children under their care, 466 knew their status.
“Delaying disclosure has the disadvantage of accidental disclosure by friends, other children or relatives which normally happens in a painful way to the children. This may result in mistrust of the guardian who was delaying disclosure,” said Mrs Ngwerume.
She added that non-disclosure may also result in defaulting medication since the children will not understand why they have to take the medication.
“Early disclosure is confusing for the children as they will not understand what will be happening.
“If the child has too little and incorrect information at the time of disclosure this may result in unnecessary stress for them. The children may also experience low self-esteem and withdrawal from others,” she said.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare about 150 000 children between the ages of 0 and 14 years are HIV positive.