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HIV / AIDS is a disease that is still one of the main issues in the world. The cases of the incident have continued to increase from year to year. Apart from adults, the number of HIV sufferers among children is also classified as high, which is around 1.8 million. One of the challenges parents have to face is how to tell if their child has HIV.
How do children get HIV?
HIV / AIDS transmission can occur in several ways. One of them is from a mother suffering from HIV / AIDS to her child. How can this happen?
Transmission of the HIV virus from mothers who are positive for the disease is called mother-to-child transmission . According to World Health Organization (WHO), when people with HIV / AIDS (PLWHA) will give birth to their babies, the percentage of babies who are likely to be exposed to the HIV virus is around 15-45%.
Apart from going through the birth process, babies are also at risk of contracting HIV after breastfeeding from their mother. Therefore, doctors will usually prevent HIV sufferers from giving exclusive breastfeeding to their babies.
So, can this opportunity be prevented? With proper medical treatment during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding, your child's chance of contracting HIV can be reduced by 5%. One of them is by administering antiretroviral drugs (ARV) to pregnant women.
Then, how do you tell that your child has HIV?
Not all prevention will bear fruit well. Likewise with efforts to prevent your baby from being born free of the HIV virus. Apart from facing the fact that your baby has to live with the disease, you may also think about whether your child needs to know his health condition.
There are several things that concern parents when their child is infected with HIV. By telling this condition, it is possible that the child will find it difficult to fully understand their illness, feel different, and get a negative stigma from the surrounding environment, especially their playmates.
However, as sufferers, it is important for children to know their health conditions. This is explained by Inez Kristanti, a clinical and psychologist sex educator when met by the Hello Sehat Team at a survey presentation related to sexual education in the SCBD area on Thursday (21/11).
According to Inez, telling children that HIV is important as a way to prepare children before growing up. Over time, a child must take full responsibility for the condition of his body, and how to control it.
"For example, children must take ARV drugs for life independently. It is impossible for parents to accompany the child for the rest of his life, "said Inez.
The psychologist who often shares information about sexual education on his social media accounts also emphasizes that parents must tell their children at the right moment. This moment is usually when the child is prepared to take care of his own health.
It is also important for parents not only to tell their children about their illness status. Parents also need to describe in-depth knowledge related to HIV itself, especially if parents are also PLWHA.
Inez added, "Not only children, almost everyone must be afraid of being given a diagnosis, but not educated about how to live with the disease."
For example, parents can reassure a child with HIV that he can actually live like people without HIV, as long as he takes medication regularly for the rest of his life. Educating is also important to prevent transmission from your child to other people.
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