AIDS & Public Policy Journal 17, no. 1 (Spring 2002) 3-12
The existing literature reports a high prevalence of
non-disclosure of HIV diagnosis to children 4-12 years. Parental
reasons for non-disclosure include children's ability to
understand information, concern about causing depression, and
fears of social stigma and discrimination.
In 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a
policy statement, "Disclosure of Illness Status to Child or
Adolescent with HIV Infection," in which it encouraged
developmentally appropriate disclosure to adolescents. The AAP
recommendations are not controversial, but implementing them may
be complex, as many parents want to shield their children from
this diagnosis.
In this preliminary study, we to begin to describe the dilemma of
non-disclosure from the perspectives of parents and physicians.
More study is needed to observe how changing social attitudes and
more effective therapies will influence parental wishes for
non-disclosure; to examine the psychosocial impact of
non-disclosure on children; and to clarify specific ways
caregivers can identify a parent's/child's readiness for
disclosure.