Talking to children about their HIV status: a review of available resources, tools, and models for improving and promoting pediatric disclosure

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Children living with HIV (CLHIV) require disclosure of their HIV status as they mature.
• Disclosure is often hindered by limited resources and lack of national guidelines in high-HIV-prevalence countries.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that CLHIV know their HIV status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and review existing tools and resources for HIV status disclosure to CLHIV.
• To address the need for effective disclosure resources in resource-limited settings.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive search of gray and scientific literature was conducted.
• Peer-reviewed literature was screened to identify disclosure models.
• Gray literature was searched for practical resources like books, job aids, and videos.

Main Results:

• Seven HIV disclosure models from six countries were identified in the peer-reviewed literature.
• Twenty-three resources were found in the gray literature, including 15 children's books, 5 job aids for healthcare providers, and 3 videos.
• These resources offer varied approaches to support the disclosure process.

Conclusions:

• Existing disclosure models and resources can be adapted to local contexts to aid HIV status disclosure.
• Careful implementation is crucial to prevent negative impacts on CLHIV.
• Further development and dissemination of culturally sensitive disclosure tools are needed.