Patterns of diagnosis disclosure and its correlates in HIV-Infected North Indian children

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Disclosure of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) positive serostatus to children is crucial for adherence to treatment and overall well-being.
• Limited data exists on the patterns and factors influencing HIV status disclosure among children in India.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the patterns of HIV positive serostatus disclosure among Indian children aged over 5 years.
• To identify factors associated with and barriers to HIV status disclosure in this population.

Main Methods:

• Facility-based cross-sectional study involving 145 Indian children aged >5 years.
• Data collected on awareness of HIV status, disclosure patterns, reasons for non-disclosure, and associated factors.

Main Results:

• Only 41.4% of children were aware of their HIV-positive status.
• Disclosure was primarily parental (85%), occurring at a mean age of 9.1 years.
• High rates of inaccurate disclosure (75.3%) and lack of illness information (24.7%) were observed.
• Key factors favoring disclosure included longer duration since diagnosis, non-perinatal transmission, Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) initiation, school enrollment, and higher caregiver education.

Conclusions:

• There is a significant gap in HIV status disclosure and accurate information sharing among Indian children.
• Targeted guidelines are necessary for school-aged children with perinatal HIV infections, particularly those not on ART and with less educated caregivers.